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Post by Lumpy Burgertushie » Tue Dec 31, 2019 4:19 am
Update phpbb 3.0 to latest 3.0 version
Backup up your board's files and database Go here and download the latest 3.0 version of phpbb3.0.14 Full Package Unzip it to your computer. Upload the included folder named "install" into your forum's directory . Browse to yourdomain.com/yourphpbb/install/database_update.php and keep clicking the continue button until it says it is finished. This will take a long time on a large board, maybe hours. Dont give up. Delete the folder named /install/ Hold one foot in the air and spin around in a circle three times saying "I am a phpbb guru". Make a new database backup.
Upgrading from phpbb 3.0.x to phpbb 3.1.x
Your server must be running at least PHP 5.4 and less than PHP 7
Most MODs for 3.0.x are incompatible with 3.1.x and their functionality will be removed in the update process.
Styles for 3.0.x cannot be installed or used on 3.1.x.
Backup up your board's files and database Download the Support Toolkit. Install it and run the database cleaner to remove all old MODs from the database. Deactivate all styles except for prosilver Ensure that the activated spambot countermeasure is one of the standard phpBB plugins (Simple image, GD image, GD 3D image, Q&A, reCaptacha). Set British English as the only language pack Delete all of your phpBB 3.0.x files EXCEPT for the following: The config.php file
file The /images/ directory
directory The /files/ directory
directory The /store/ directory Upload the contents of the phpBB3 directory from the uncompressed 3.1.x Full Package (EXCEPT for config.php ) into your forum's directory (Note: you don't want to overwrite your original config.php file) Browse to yourdomain.com/yourphpbb/install/database_update.php and keep clicking the continue button until it says it is finished. This will take a long time on a large board, maybe hours. Dont give up. Delete the folder named /install/ Hold one foot in the air and spin around in a circle three times saying "I am a phpbb guru". Make a new database backup.
Upgrading 3.1 to 3.2
Backup up your board's files and database Download the current full version zip file from 3.2.x Full Package Unzip it on your computer and remove the file named config.php Delete all of your phpBB 3.1.x files EXCEPT for the following: The config.php file
file The /ext/ directory
directory The /files/ directory
directory The /images/ directory
directory The /store/ directory copy the rest of the contents of the folder named phpBB3 to your usbwebserver/root/yourphpbb files. If asked, yes you want to merge existing files/folders. Browse to root/yourphpbb/install/ Click on update tab. click on update button, click on submit for update database only. When database update is successful, delete the folder named install Make a new database backup
first, do NOT upgrade to 3.3 it is still in release candidate stage and should not be used on a live board.you could wait for it to be final but I don't really know when that is going to happen.so, I have found that it usually works better to do the incremental upgrade/update.you will need to update from 3.0.2 to 3.0.14now, on to 3.2you should be done.this seems like a lot but it is pretty straightforward. as long as you do things exactly and in order you will be fine.don't forget to make the database backups before starting and after each upgrade.that way, if it crashed on you you can just restore the last database backup and move on from there.good luck,robert | The three critical elements to surf photography are good light, good surfers and good waves. Most of us photographers get up early to take advantage of all three. Because the ocean is a fickle environment, our window to capture these moments may only come once a month. We study wind and wave charts like meteorologists. We factor in family and jobs, dropping responsibilities more than we should when conditions are right.
When all the elements align, when you’ve made it out there, swum in a turbulent ocean for hours and got home to see an incredible photo, your stoke is off the charts.
The surfers are often strangers who become friends, names and numbers exchanged, meetups discussed and planned shoots coordinated. The photos below, by several photographers, were selected for such a meetup – an evening in southern California last November with several surf photographers to share work of the past year | 1 |
The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday said the training of astronauts for the ambitious manned mission 'Gaganyaan' will commence from the third week of January in Russia.
Four astronauts have been identified for the mission, ISRO chief K Sivan said adding the training of astronauts will start from third week of this month in Russia.
The work related to and Gaganyaan was going on simultaneously, he told reporters here.
The ISRO chief also congratulated the Chennai based techie who recently located the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 that hard-landed and maintained that it was the space agency's policy not to release picture of the crashed module.
"We know where it crashed and where it is located," Sivan said.
To a question on what went wrong with Vikram lander, he said it was due to velocity reduction failure.
"The velocity reduction failure was due to internal reasons," he said.
Chandrayaan-2 mission was India's first attempt to land on lunar surface. The ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed. | Jan 01, 2020 , 4:59PM 4 IAF personnel selected for training in Russia for Gaganyaan Mission to be launched in 2022: ISRO Chief @DDNewsLive ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has announced that four air men from Indian Air Force have been identified for India's first manned mission to space, Gaganyan.
Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru today he said the four chosen airmen will undergo astronauts' training in Russia from third week of January. Gaganyan is planned to be launched in 2022 as announced by the Prime Minister.
The ISRO Chairman said an unmanned mission will be launched this year to test human rating of propulsion model and microgravity simulations. Dr. Siven also informed Chandrayan-3 mission has been approved by the Government.
This will be launched without an orbiter. He said the lander and rover will be soft landing in the south pole of lunar surface. It will carry out experiments that were planned during Chandrayan-2.
Dr. Sivan also announced today that a second satellite launch station will come up in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu for which 2300 acre land will be acquired. He said initially small satellites will be launched from here. | 3.333333 |
“This is very different to that,” he warned. “This will be an active fire and a very challenging and complex environment for weeks and therefore we have to do things differently.” Aerial footage this morning revealed the extent of destruction in Mallacoota. Credit:ABC News Mr Andrews said 90 firefighters isolated in Mallacoota would be choppered out on Wednesday evening and replaced with fresh teams in a “shift change by the air”. “That's not something we've done before and it's one example of how complex and how challenging these East Gippsland fires are now,” he said.
Patchy communications and an active fireground made it difficult to account for the missing people. “We simply haven’t got into a number of areas,” Mr Andrews said. Thousands of people stranded in East Gippsland towns face an anxious wait with temperatures expected to soar again on Saturday. After a hot Friday, Mallacoota is facing a windy 43 on Saturday, with a late change. Mick Roberts died at his Buchan property. Credit:Nine News Dylan Wissell said his stepfather, Mr Roberts, was a larger than life character around Buchan with a wide circle of friends and a large, adoring family.
"He was tough on the exterior but he had a heart of gold," Mr Wissell said. "He was a good man. He was a bit of a rock to me, to be honest. He was always there if I needed a bit of a yack." Mr Wissell said he believed Mr Roberts had been painting his house with friends in the days leading up to the fires. "I rang him on Sunday and left a voicemail about my concerns about the weather coming up and he left me a message later that day saying not to worry, that the tanks were full and [they were] pretty right for a firefighting set-up, but obviously he wasn't as prepared as he would have hoped,” he said. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "As as far as I know, they decided to head to the river and I think there was one or two other guys with Mick and they ran to river. And Mick, for whatever reason, turned back to the hay shed at first and then to the house.
"The other guys went down to the river and huddled there thinking they were going to die. Next thing, Mick is missing." A naval ship, HMAS Choules, which is capable of carrying 700 people and can deliver water, food, fuel and medical supplies, is expected to be off the coast of Mallacoota by mid-morning on Thursday. Is is unclear whether it will be used for evacuations. HMAS Choules will arrive in Victoria on Thursday. Credit:Steven Siewert However, five ADF helicopters, including two Black Hawks, will be used to conduct evacuations.
Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said authorities were considering evacuating Mallacoota residents by sea but said the ships arriving were not equipped to take thousands of people at once. Ambulance Victoria's acting director of emergency management, Justin Dunlop, said people in Mallacoota were being assessed to determine if anyone needed to be medically evacuated. He said some paramedics were continuing to assist the community despite not knowing if their own homes had survived. A second vessel, the MV Sycamore, which can carry a helicopter, is also expected to arrive off the coast of East Gippsland early on Thursday, a day earlier than originally expected. The boats and helicopters were bringing tonnes of water and food supplies that will last two weeks.
Authorities said 24 structures had been destroyed in Buchan, 19 in Sarsfield, 10 in Mallacoota, up to 15 in Corryong and up to 15 in Cudgewa. Mallacoota local Rachel Mounsey said a whole street and one half of another had been lost near her. “Half of the street has gone in my street. There’s probably eight gone. Stanley Avenue is basically wiped out. A whole street gone," Ms Mounsey said. Musician Justin Brady was able to save his instruments – including a violin, harmonica and mandolin – but his home on Karbeethong Hill did not survive. During the fire he took refuge for hours in a boat near a jetty where 50 people sheltered.
"It was apocalyptic," he said. "I lost everything pretty much.” Melburnian Bradyn Taglieri is one of 5000 people who were stranded in Mallacoota. He said that after a “very long day” on Tuesday taking shelter at the boat ramp, fires were still burning around the town and the power was still out. The local IGA supermarket remained open through the night with supplies. “We all had to make masks out of our clothing and wear sunglasses as the smoke was too much for the eyes,” he said.
“I’m not overly stressed about [leaving]. My only concern is about getting back to work, but I’m sure the boss would understand,” Mr Taglieri said. “Myself and a few others have put our hands up to go out and help clear some of the roads to speed the process up, but that’s all we can really do at the moment.” The people of Cann River – in between Orbost and Mallacoota and with a population of about 200 – are low on food, water and fuel and also feel their little East Gippsland town is a low priority. There was some good news for the town on Wednesday when the CFA downgraded the two out-of-control fires in the area from emergency status to "watch and act". But that hasn't reduced concern among locals, many of whom spent the past two nights seeking refuge in the local school and who are feeling the pinch as their town is running low on supplies because the Princes Highway remains closed. | At least 17 people remain missing as 50 fires continue to rage across the state threatening the lives of those trapped in 24 isolated communities in East Gippsland.
Speaking in Bairnsdale on Thursday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he held serious fears for the 17 people missing and believes some of those unaccounted for may be stranded without access to power, or may have stayed in remote towns to defend their homes against the fires.
A caravan park in Mallacoota on Thursday morning. Credit:George Mills
“They may have been trying to defend their homes,’’ he said.
“That number may grow or indeed people may report to authorities. We do hold very significant fears for the welfare of anybody who is missing at this time.’’ | 3.333333 |
A fire in a south-end Halifax apartment building on Wednesday afternoon is being labelled as arson.
In a news release, Halifax Regional Police said fire crews and police were called to an apartment building on the 5500 block of Victoria Road at 4:23 p.m. after multiple callers said they saw smoke in the building. Fire crews quickly put out the fire.
Tenants were temporarily evacuated from the building, but have since returned.
No injuries have been reported.
Police are asking anyone with information about the fire to call police at 902-490-5016 or contact Crime Stoppers online or by phone at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
MORE TOP STORIES | Halifax police have launched an arson investigating following a structure fire in an apartment building.
Halifax Regional Police say several callers reported smoke in the Victoria Road apartment building on Wednesday afternoon.
No one was hurt and tenants were temporarily evacuated as firefighters extinguished the blaze. Police say fire investigators confirmed the fire was intentionally set and handed the probe over to officers.
The arson investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Get more of today's top stories in your inbox Begin your day with a briefing of Halifax's biggest stories in our Morning Headlines email newsletter. Sign Up Now
Read more about: | 4 |
While the Democrats plotted to overthrow the President….
It’s tough to pick only 10 accomplishments from such an extraordinary year, but here are just a few of the biggest things President Donald J. Trump has gotten done for the American people in 2019:
Americans saw plenty of Washington at its worst this year, with one party in Congress obsessed with a partisan impeachment stunt and obstructing progress at every turn. But despite getting no help from the far left, America today is soaring to new heights.
The Truth Must be Told
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Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too. | The biggest list of accomplishments by President Trump is complete!
The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard compiled the complete list of results by President Trump since his election.
Our top ten choices of accomplishments from 2019 follow Bedard’s 319 from all three years.
Enjoy!
ACFrOgAUTMl8Xt31z9R_Bha0n5a… by Paul Bedard on Scribd
It’s difficult to choose only ten accomplishments by President Trump in 2019.
He had a very successful year in spite of the obstruction by Democrats and efforts to impeach him.
Exposing the Deep State would have to be the greatest accomplishment of his entire presidency, along with successfully using Twitter to reach Americans without using the fake news media.
The Trump 2020 campaign website has numerous accomplishments listed for each month in 2019, but, here are our top 10:
-The USMCA (US, Mexico, Canada Agreement) that is a big win for US farmers, workers and will create over 150,000 jobs.
-After imposing tariffs on China for unfair trade, phase one of a trade deal with China was agreed upon and will be signed in January of 2020.
-President Trump’s pro-growth policies have created over 7 million jobs since election day. More Americans are employed than ever before.
-Improvements in border security and continued border wall construction led to a 70% decrease in border apprehensions.
-Protected people with preexisting conditions and lowered prescription drug prices.
-The stock market has seen record gains all year and hit a record on the last Friday of 2019.
-Strengthening our military by giving them the biggest pay raise in a decade. Executive action to help prevent Veteran suicide and relieve student loan debt of Veterans.
-Wages for middle income and lower-income Americans have improved.
-Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are at all-time lows.
-The Trump administration has appointed Supreme Court, Circuit Court, and District Court judges who will change the courts for decades to come.
Do you have any accomplishments to add? We’d like to know what you would add to the list!
Great job, Mr. President! | 4 |
Just when the commotion caused by a top bundler for Pete Buttigieg was fading from political conversations, another problematic bundler has been exposed. This time it is Wendy Wanderman, an entertainment executive who specializes in film marketing and production. A taxpayer-funded initiative she proposed in 2009 has surfaced and is causing some heartburn for Buttigieg’s campaign. Her proposal, “Cash for Fatties” would pay people to lose weight.
Remember Cash for Clunkers, the Obama administration’s cash incentive program for drivers who traded in older automobiles to purchase newer fuel-efficient vehicles? This plan was along the same lines. She proposed that there be a program for the government to pay people to lose weight. She outlined her idea in a 279-word blog post published by HuffPost where she was a contributor at the time. The internet is forever and her old blog post is in the news.
To add to the problematic blog post, Wanderman took a shot at Republicans as she tsk-tsked overweight people in red states. Because, of course, she did. The five states with the highest percentage of overweight people were red states. She turned the obesity problem in America into a political argument. Her argument was that blue state Americans were paying for the health care of red-state Americans. She worked the preference of a single-payer health care system into her rationale. This is the report she references.
According to a recent report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Top 5 states that have the highest percentage of overweight people are all Republican red states. In fact in the Top 10 ranking of most overweight states, only Michigan (ranked 8) and Ohio (tied for 10th) are the only blue states among a field of red. Basically, people in the thinner and mostly bluer states are paying for the healthcare costs of all of the uninsured and Medicare covered individuals in these red states. It’s no secret that the more overweight a person is, the greater likelihood that his/her medical costs increase. Thus, the blue states in which we want a public option, are paying the costs of the red states where they oppose it.
Her proposal looks to be short-sighted, though. She doesn’t say who will determine if someone is “heavily overweight” but no doubt it would be some government bureaucrat in a cubicle in Washington, D.C. Wanderman suggests that weight loss programs are paid for by other taxpayers but that opens up a discussion about the effectiveness and legitimacy of weight loss programs. So, that would be another government-controlled decision. And, finally, she recommends that payment is made after the weight loss and again after six months or a year. What happens after that? Does the person get a government hand-out for the rest of his or her life if the weight loss is maintained?
Therefore, here’s what I propose. The government should institute a program in which people are paid to lose weight. You can only register for this program if it is determined that you are heavily overweight. If you enroll in a weight loss program like Weight Watchers, (the gov’t will pay for it whether you have health insurance or not) and lose a significant amount of weight, the gov’t will pay you a fee. If you keep the weight off after 6 months or a year, the gov’t will give you an additional payment.
Keep in mind, this woman isn’t a medical doctor or even a nutritionist. She’s an entertainment industry executive. Mayor Pete is using her to raise some big bucks for his campaign. She served on President Obama’s National Finance Committee. She has raised at least $25,000 for Buttigieg’s presidential campaign. In Buttigieg’s push to be more transparent, his campaign released a list of top bundlers. She is one of the 146 people listed.
This goes to Pete Buttigieg’s judgment. If you ask me, Wanderman is even more problematic than H.K. Park is to the campaign. Park offered up a traditional pay to play opportunity for donors – donate money and get access to the candidate. The campaign distanced itself from Park, of course, and acts as though he is some rogue fundraiser. It exposed Buttigieg as just another politician, not some young reformer out to change business as usual in Washington.
There is also the problem with political divisiveness in a story like this. Wanderman’s eagerness to pit red-state conservatives against blue state liberals over health care policy sounds like we what we came to expect from the Obama years. The notion that President Trump brought in something new in the political division between conservatives and liberals is laughable. That has been growing for several administrations in my lifetime alone. Clinton’s impeachment, the Bush-Gore election, the Afghanistan and Iraq wars during the Bush administration, and then Obama’s lurch to usher in socialism all divided conservatives and liberals. The divisions are stark during Trump’s administration because of the refusal of the left to accept his election. That began before he was even inaugurated. Our liberal betters simply don’t like conservatives. They look down on conservatives and the only Republicans they like are the ones willing to go along to get along.
Mayor Pete is from a red state. He loses the chance to appeal to moderate Republican voters with any message of unity if he continues to associate with the far left who want nanny state solutions to problems. Health complications from obesity add to medical costs but blaming it on red states is ridiculous. Also, a policy initiative like this would also target and shame poor people who do not have access to a better diet or money to afford a healthier way of eating.
I’ll end with one more little nugget on Buttigieg’s bundlers. Buttigieg’s “Medicare for All Who Want It” health care proposal pledges to ban a predatory practice known as “balance billing”. That is when patients are presented with high bills for receiving out of network care without knowing it. A top Buttigieg fundraiser, billionaire Hamilton James, is the executive vice-chairman of Blackstone which has been linked to deceptive billing practice schemes. And, when the Buttigieg campaign released its initial list of top fundraisers, over 20 high-level fundraisers were left off the list. Oops. It looks like the campaign needs a little better vetting of fundraisers and a better eye to details going forward. | CLUNKER: Buttigieg bundler pushed “Cash for Fatties” federal proposal.
Just when the commotion caused by a top bundler for Pete Buttigieg was fading from political conversations, another problematic bundler has been exposed. This time it is Wendy Wanderman, an entertainment executive who specializes in film marketing and production. A taxpayer-funded initiative she proposed in 2009 has surfaced and is causing some heartburn for Buttigieg’s campaign. Her proposal, “Cash for Fatties” would pay people to lose weight.
Remember Cash for Clunkers, the Obama administration’s cash incentive program for drivers who traded in older automobiles to purchase newer fuel-efficient vehicles? This plan was along the same lines. She proposed that there be a program for the government to pay people to lose weight. She outlined her idea in a 279-word blog post published by HuffPost where she was a contributor at the time. The internet is forever and her old blog post is in the news. | 4 |
A 19-year-old man has died in Co Derry after the car he was driving collided with another car in the early hours of the new year.
The collision happened around 2.30am on New Year’s Day on the Moneysharvan Road between Maghera and Swatragh.
The female driver of the other car and two teenage boys who were passengers in her car were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries.
Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact them. | Police attended the scene.
Police confirm Michael Og McKenna (19) victim of Co Londonderry New Year crash BelfastTelegraph.co.uk A 19-year-old man who died following an early-morning crash in Co Londonderry on New Year's Day has been named as Michael Og McKenna. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/police-confirm-michael-og-mckenna-19-victim-of-co-londonderry-new-year-crash-38826388.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/article38024162.ece/9194a/AUTOCROP/h342/Police%20tape%20night%20generic%20pic
Email
A 19-year-old man who died following an early-morning crash in Co Londonderry on New Year's Day has been named as Michael Og McKenna.
Mr McKenna, who was from the Maghera area, was the driver of a red Audi that was involved in a crash with a grey Audi shortly after 2.30am on the Moneysharvan Road between Maghera and Swatragh.
The female driver of the other car and two teenage passengers were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries.
Sinn Fein MP Francie Molloy said the death had caused shock and sadness in the local community.
The Mid Ulster MP said: "Any death on our roads is a tragedy, particularly when someone so young loses their life.
"My thoughts are with the family and friends of this young man at this sad time.”
Police have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who saw either of the cars prior to the collision to contact them on 101, quoting reference 460 of 01/01/20.
The Moneysharvan Road was closed for several hours while police carried out an investigation, but has since been reopened.
Belfast Telegraph Digital | 3.666667 |
Three years ago, a small film crew drove into the Austrian Alps in search of a remote valley. It would serve as one of the settings for Terrence Malick's vision of paradise.
"We'd taken a big, big risk when we decided to go," says the film's producer Grant Hill. "We had next to no funds. [We] felt, for some reason, we'd work that out as we went along — which, I wouldn't advise doing it again that way, but it worked. And this combination of the mountain background, the faces on the people, the weather really did — I mean, it was otherworldly."
The film came to be called A Hidden Life. It's based on the letters of an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis — and was executed for his resistance.
It's the latest film from acclaimed director Terrence Malick. He's known for epic movies like The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life. Like those films, Malick's latest is about grand themes like love, faith and war.
A Hidden Life opens in the dark with nature sounds. The screen then comes to life: mountain valleys, waterfalls, rivers flowing, clouds rolling.
Actor Valerie Pachner is from Austria. She's one of the stars of the film.
"There is this incredibly beautiful landscape," Pachner says. "But on the other hand there's also a certain darkness to it. And I always feel like — you know, there is these beautiful mountains, but then you have those very dark forests. And then when you think about the second World War, I feel like there's always sort of both, in nature. And that's what I feel Terry [Malick] really captured so well."
Terence Malick made the film with cinematographer Joerg Widmer.
"Nature, you have to capture when it happens," Widmer says. "So you can't design it. It's just: When it's dusk, you have to be there and capture the dusk. If you have heavy weather coming up, then you should be at the right place just to capture the wind, just capture the beauty of the clouds."
But the year is 1939, and that natural beauty is interrupted with the arrival of war planes. The German actor August Diehl plays the farmer who became a conscientious objector — his name was Franz Jägerstätter.
"He decided not to fight, and not to swear an oath to Hitler, and to not be part of the whole machinery of war," Diehl says. "What is a feeling at the first place becomes more and more a real decision, and he sticks to this and sacrifices his whole family for this until the very end."
Franz Jagerstatter expressed his doubts in letters to his wife. His resistance became a crisis of his Catholic faith, and his village turned against him and his family.
The writer Eric Benson wrote an article about Terrence Malick for Texas Monthly magazine two years ago. He says A Hidden Life is filled with the spiritual questions that have defined the elusive filmmaker's work.
"I think it's concerned with these really basic philosophical questions of: What should a good man do in the face of evil?" Benson says. "How do you navigate your loyalties to country and to God and to your own morality?"
Terence Malick is now 76 and lives in Austin, Texas. He hasn't given any interviews in decades.
"Probably if he were to show up and talk about all this, we wouldn't have, probably ... this kind of nice movies from him," says Diehl, the actor. "That's linked to each other. The silence in the public is saving energy for a language — which really matters."
That film language includes voiceovers, swirling images and widescreen landscapes. It's not for everyone.
"A Terrence Malick movie is almost like: If you were to shoot a normal movie, and then you were to take that footage and almost make an artistic collage out of it, kill the dialogue and have the images — instead of being tied together by a pretty conventional story — be tied together by sort of mood and ideas and images," Benson says. "So it's almost like watching a movie and having a dream about that movie. The Malick movie is that dream you have that night."
Despite its signature dream-like style, many critics have called A Hidden Life Terrence Malick's most direct film. Diehl says it offers an antidote to our current political culture.
"I have the feeling that we live in a world which is getting louder and louder," Diehl says. "And so it is very, very hard to find a silent place in ourselves where we can still see which is right and which is wrong. Therefore our movie is so relevant right now — it's not only politics; it's in a very simple way, a silent resistance of somebody who is hidden. Like, we all are actually hidden lives. Everybody lives a hidden life."
Pachner, who plays Fani Jägerstätter (Franz's wife), says that if the film insists on a political position, it is a message of kindness — and turning the other cheek.
"It always sounds cheesy when I say it, but I just feel it's true," Pachner says. "This tendency of hatred and being against each other: The only thing that can oppose that is love, in any sense. You know, not only in the romantic way, but also in the sense of being kind to your neighbors even though they are yelling at you; being kind to nature; being kind to whatever you are confronted with ... because this is what makes us human beings."
Franz Jägerstätter was executed at age 36 on Aug. 9, 1943. His letters are now on screen in Terrence Malick's memorial to what was once "a hidden life."
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
After weeks of unrest, the streets of Haiti are back to their usual busy, traffic-clogged state just in time for Christmas. Anti-government protesters who had put up barricades and burned tires are taking a holiday break. It's allowed businesses to reopen and local artists to spread the Haitian Christmas spirit. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports from Port-au-Prince.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Francisco Silva (ph) shakes a can of bright red spray paint before he adds the final touches to the large red face that is the centerpiece of his latest mural. It's covering the wall in front of the National Bureau of Ethnology that showcases Haiti's Vodou culture.
FRANCISCO SILVA: (Speaking Creole).
KAHN: This is Makaya, a Vodou spirit which we celebrate the same time of year as Christmas, he says. Makaya embodies the winter season.
SILVA: (Speaking Creole).
KAHN: "And the colors are the same as Christmas, red and green," says Silva. Green is for the Earth and red is for life. Artist Gary Francois (ph) is adding dozens of green leaves to the mural all around Makaya's red face. The eyes remain white, he says, to emphasize the spirit inside. Francois is studying at the ethnology school. It's located just across the street from the site of the former National Palace, which still hasn't been rebuilt since Haiti's devastating earthquake nearly 10 years ago.
GARY FRANCOIS: (Speaking Creole).
KAHN: He says most of his work reflects the political crisis engulfing Haiti right now. Until just a few weeks ago, he and his partner Silva couldn't have been out here so close to the scene of many street battles between police and demonstrators. Opponents of current President Jovenel Moise want him to resign. They accuse the president of massive corruption and theft - a claim Moise denies. Artist Gary Francois shows me a picture of a political mural just blocks from here, one he and Silva painted at the height of the opposition marches and riots this fall.
FRANCOIS: (Speaking Creole).
KAHN: In it, he depicts lawmakers as pigs, the president as a cat, the prime minister as a goat and the Haitian elites as sharks.
So it seems like there's a zoo in charge.
UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: (Speaking Creole).
FRANCOIS: (Speaking Creole).
UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: So, yes, many animals manage the country.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
KAHN: On the other side of the mural, the national Vodou dance company called 21 Nations is practicing for an upcoming New Year's Day performance. Erol Josue, director of the company and the National Bureau of Ethnology, says, sadly, this Christmas in Haiti is not joyous for many. The months of relentless protests, which claimed more than 40 lives, have taken a toll on everyone.
EROL JOSUE: It's hard. It's hard. But we working on it. We have hope.
KAHN: New Year's Day is also Haitian Independence Day, a sense of pride, he says, for everyone. It's also the day the opposition has called for protesters to return to the streets. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Port-au-Prince.
(SOUNDBITE OF TRACEY CHATTAWAY'S "STARLIGHTS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | click to enlarge
NEW THIS WEEK
Film release schedules are subject to change. Reviews online at cityweekly.net
The Grudge
[not reviewed]
Latest U.S. remake of the Japanese horror story about a house haunted by a vengeful ghost. Opens Jan. 3 at theaters valleywide. (R)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
The Aeronauts
At Park City Film Series, Jan. 3-4, 8 p.m. & Jan. 5, 6 p.m. (PG-13)
CURRENT RELEASES
Bombshell 2 stars
Charlize Theron looks a lot like Megyn Kelly in Bombshell—but it would be great to move on from that to whether Bombshell is actually a good movie. Because it's not. There's a scandalous premise at its core: the sexual harassment allegations at Fox News in 2017 that brought down the network's founder and architect, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), along with popular commentator Bill O'Reilly. But beyond the casting of familiar actors impersonating high-profile public figures—including Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson—what "there" is there in Jay Roach's movie? Occasionally it finds an emotional hook, like with a fictionalized sexually-harrassed producer played by Margot Robbie. Mostly, however, the performances are buried under an exercise in cinematic schadenfreude that's basically progressive fan service. We get to congratulate ourselves for recognizing that sexual harassment is bad, and Fox News is worse. (R)—Scott Renshaw
Cats 2 stars
Director Tom Hooper adapts Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical phenomenon about a weird annual ritual of cats trying to figure out which one of them gets to die and be reincarnated, with various cats (Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, James Corden, Taylor Swift and more) each getting a solo number before being kidnapped by the villainous Macavity (Idris Elba). The only reason Cats works on stage, despite being a bad musical aside from the ubiquitous "Memory," is the spectacle of its stagecraft. On a movie screen, those mostly blah songs are in the mouths of people with CGI fur, which never stops looking creepy. Some lively dancing and the eye-catching ingénue presence of ballerina Francesca Hayward energize something that at least deserves credit for batshit craziness more fitting for a stoned midnight movie audience than a blockbuster holiday release. (PG)—SR
A Hidden Life 4 stars
Maybe it's because Taika Waititi's so-called satire Jojo Rabbit left a bad taste in my mouth that I find Terrence Malick's latest opus to be a far more appealing account of living among the Nazis during World War II. Mostly set in an overwhelmingly idyllic village in Austria, the movie follows Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), a real-life peasant farmer who chose not to fight with the Nazis, even if that meant spending a huge chunk of wartime incarcerated. As always with Malick, there's a love story at its core—this time, it's between Jägerstätter and his loyal, supportive wife (Valerie Pachner), who goes through just as much pain and drama as he does. As usual, Malick creates what seems like an endlessly emotional dream, as he and cinematographer Jörg Widmer constantly come up with gorgeous, sensuous shots and images that are just as vital to the story as the actual narrative. Even though I'm sure some people will complain about the nearly three-hour length, when you're engulfed in a world that's as moving and beautiful as the one Malick assembles, time doesn't mean a damn thing. Opens Dec. 20 at theaters valleywide. (PG-13)—Criag D. Lindsey
Jumanji: The Next Level 1 star
Two years ago, a quartet of high-schoolers magically entered a 1990s-era videogame and were transformed into "hilariously" opposite avatars (scrawny nerd becomes buff swashbuckler; shy girl becomes scantily clad "dance fighter;" etc.) to solve a jungle adventure puzzle. The one-joke wonder of the 2017 movie is painfully extended as two grandpas join the shenanigans, and now it's "hilarious" that squawky curmudgeon Danny DeVito lands in the body of The Rock (later Awkwafina) and a loquacious Danny Glover becomes "Boy Scout" Kevin Hart. Writer-director Jake Kasdan directs action sequences as if he intends to suck all the excitement and suspense out of them. The stakes are too low, anyway, to generate much suspense: Everyone gets another life when they "die" in the game. This isn't an action adventure so much as a body-swap comedy, minus any real laughs. (PG-13)— MaryAnn Johanson
Little Women 3.5 stars
Writer-director Greta Gerwig takes Louisa May Alcott's 150-year-old text and finds a way of telling it that feels new and vital. She radically re-imagines the structure, opening with Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) already in New York trying to build a career as a writer; the narrative flashes back from there seven years to Jo and her sisters—Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen)—living with their mother (Laura Dern). That fragmented chronology turns it into a tale juxtaposing the lives the young protagonists imagine for themselves with the choices they ultimately have available. Yet it's also gloriously entertaining, thanks to the top-notch casting. It's wonderful to see this source material as a call to recognize the unfairness the world might throw at you, stare it down, and decide you're going to make your own happiness. (PG)—SR
Spies in Disguise 2.5 stars
Will Smith voices a cocky secret agent who needs help from a nebbishy scientist (Tom Holland) to disappear when he gets framed for a crime. Unfortunately, he accidentally downs a potion that turns him into a pigeon—that's right, a friggin' pigeon. Stupid as this sounds, directors Troy Quane and Nick Bruno come up with enough elaborate, screwball hijinks to properly appease the parent-kid combos in the audience, while populating the flick with an eccentric collection of star voices (Karen Gillan, Reba McEntire, DJ Khaled). They even squeeze in a message of pacifism, as Smith and Holland's characters argue about the best way to handle acts of terrorism. I wasn't expecting a flick where the Fresh Prince eats garbage, lays an egg and finds out how pigeons go to the bathroom to be so damn heavy. (PG)—CDL
Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker 2 stars
J.J. Abrams attempts to wrap up 40 years of Star Wars' Skywalker saga with the possible return of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), as all of our main characters—Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)—trying to figure out what it all means. The set pieces, while energetically staged, involve a lot of racing around trying to find a Very Important Object, or even trying to find the Very Important Object that will help them find another Very Important Object. We also get new characters, making the movie even more densely packed with stuff. But the elephant-in-the-Throne-Room problem is that this feels like a cover-band version of Return of the Jedi, puts characters through the motions of arcs we've seen before, offering a comforting pat on the head without any surprises. (PG-13)—SR
Uncut Gems 3 stars
Josh and Benny Safdie (Good Time) tell another story about a screw-up who can't get out of his own way: Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a New York jeweler facing impending divorce, mounting gambling debt and an accompanying threat of physical violence. But he thinks a rare, valuable black opal from Ethiopia will solve all his problems. The Safdies maintain a relentless momentum as Howard's schemes repeatedly blow up in his face, with Sandler turning in strong work as a guy who's always got a hustle, while never understanding that the disaster of his life is his own fault. If anything, it's too relentless, exacerbated by Daniel Lopatin's punishing score. The character study doesn't hold the same thematic depth as Robert Pattinson's furiously entitled protagonist of Good Time, but it's still consistently fascinating to rubberneck at this human car crash. (R)—SR | 2 |
The white owl ''hung in front of us for half a second, wings spread, great eyes gazing straight at us. Then it lifted up and vanished into the darkness''.
1974: We left for a two-year working holiday in the UK, with three sleeping bags, three suitcases and a 4-year-old son.
1976: We came back with three sleeping bags, four suitcases, five tea-chests, a 6-year-old son and a 5-month-old daughter.
We'd thought we might not be able to have any more children after Pete, so when we got the brilliant news from a Margate doctor that Beth was pregnant, we decided it must have been the English mild ale. I won't say which of us had been drinking it.
Beth had a glorious pregnancy, though the sight of 40 fried eggs in the seaside hotel kitchen where she was working did send her sprinting from the room.
Our carefully eked-out photos (I'm talking camera-with-roll-of-film days) show her and her lovely, slowly-swelling cargo, plus small son and small son's stuffed cat, as we strolled the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, did brass rubbings in Canterbury Cathedral, took Pete to glimpse foxes in Kentish woods.
The baby was due at the end of 1975. By that time, we were living in half an 18th century farmhouse in a West Sussex village. It was two storeys of mellow bricks, leaded windows, a stone front doorstep that centuries of feet had worn into a dip. It was charming, rustic, bone-shakingly freezing.
As the UK winter bit, all three-and-a-bit of us moved into one bedroom to save on heating. On the coldest nights, our curtains froze to the inside of the windows. Washing on the line rained little shards of ice when you shook it.
We made it to Christmas. Snow didn't fall, but sleet did, and we huddled around the coal fire (global warming? Never heard of it) to unwrap presents that had come all the way by sea from New Zealand.
Later, we went for a walk, saw robins on bare branches and genuine carol singers outside a genuine thatched church. Neighbours who'd only nodded to us before now smiled, shook hands, went "All the best for your new arrival".
That new arrival came in the middle of the night, at the turn of the year.
Two hours into 1976, Beth shifted in bed, panted, shifted again. "I think you need to make a phone call."
I hurried 50m to the village shop, and the square red telephone box outside it. Britain's National Health System had briefed us on what to do. I inserted two pennies, dialled St Catherine's Hospital in Chichester, crossed my fingers.
Two minutes later, I was heading back to the cottage, under a sky glittering with northern constellations. "The ambulance is on its way," I told Beth, who was now dressed and perched on the edge of the bed, taking slow breaths. On the other side of the room, Pete slept on.
The ambulance came just 20 minutes later. As Beth and her bulge got in, the driver told me "Don't worry, chum. We always look after you Australians."
I went back inside, muttered "Australians??" a few times, and lay in bed, fretting.
3am. 4am. 5am. Nothing would have happened yet, but I couldn't wait.
I checked on Pete, ran back to the phone box, inserted more pennies. (We'd built up an emergency stack on the mantelpiece.)
I was answered. I was transferred. I was put on hold. Finally, a West Sussex accent came on. "Muster Hill? You've got a booful daughter. Happy New Year, luv."
Helen Mary had reached Planet Earth. I knew my face was split by a huge, stupid grin.
David Hill David Hill's son Pete with new baby sister Helen Mary.
Pete was still fast asleep. I shook him. "Pete? Wake up, son. You've got a little sister." Our 5-year-old stared, sprang out of bed, peered under it. "Where?" he went.
We'd arranged to park him with friends a few miles away. I rang them, too (of course they wanted a 5.20am call), helped a yawning small son into his clothes, and we drove off.
The road to our friends wound through bare, silent winter woods. We slid along a tunnel of oak and beech that flicked past in our headlights. Black branches arched above us.
The bird came with no sound. From a tree just ahead, a white owl swooped down. It hung in front of us for half a second, wings spread, great eyes gazing straight at us. Then it lifted up and vanished into the darkness.
A white owl. The bird of the Greek Goddess Athena; a symbol of female knowledge and power.
Pete had slept through it. Twenty miles away in Chichester, our daughter had been in the world for less than three hours. I drove on, my back prickling.
Of course no parent forgets the birth of a child. But this time, I felt I'd been sent a sign. I'd been blessed. And her life has blessed us ever since.
Happy New Year and Happy Birthday, Helen Mary.
* David Hill is a freelance writer from Taranaki. | A Sydney motorist has asked to be let off with a warning after he was caught driving with four unrestrained children crammed into the back of their car on New Year’s Day.
NSW Police’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Command officers pulled over the vehicle for a random breath test in Peakhurst, in the city’s southwest, before discovering the children in the rear of the car alongside a 27-year-old woman who also did not have a seatbelt on.
Two of the children were five years old, with one of them positioned in the footwell of the car.
There were no child seats installed in the vehicle.
There were also two teenage girls, aged 13 and 15, unrestrained in the back.
A NSW driver was slapped with 30 demerits points for five offences, including having four children unrestrained. Source: Facebook/ Traffic and Highway Patrol Command - NSW Police Force More
The male driver lost his licence after he was slapped with 30 demerit points – double the amount the five offences for unrestrained passengers would normally incur due to the Christmas and New Year double-demerit period.
The double-demerit period ended for NSW motorists at midnight on Wednesday.
The driver was also hit with a fine of $1720, while the woman received a fine of $344.
The man had asked officers to be let off with a warning for the offences.
Alternative transport was arranged for the extra passengers.
Police shared an image of the passengers inside the vehicle on Facebook, prompting comments of disbelief.
“Totally irresponsible driver and to ask to be given a warning, you gotta be kidding,” one person wrote.
“Why do people think this is OK?” another asked.
It comes just days after a driver in Newcastle also lost their licence for a similar scenario.
Inside the rear of his vehicle were three children aged 1, 3 and 4 without the required child seats.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. | 1 |
Whether it’s art, ancient artefacts, science, music or something more left field that has inspired you, tell us about a wonderful museum in a European city
Size and fame don’t matter, we want to hear about city museums that have struck you as special in some way. It could be an institution with a huge range of displays or a small place with a niche collection.
You may have visited an institution that opens in the evenings, so you can avoid the crowds, or one with particularly good guides at hand. It might have a cafe that you enjoyed visiting, or even a bar.
Please don’t send in tips on out-of-town museums for this compilation, or anywhere in the UK – we’re looking for European city break locations this time.
If possible, provide addresses and websites mentioned with exact locations. Let us know whether there is a cost involved or whether the museum is free to enter. Please ensure your tip stays within around 100 words.
Have a look at our past winners and other tips
Send tips by filling in the form below, with as much detail as you can in around 100 words. We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.
Photographs are welcome if they are high-quality and you are happy to share but it is the text that our judges will consider. If you do send photographs please ensure you are the copyright holder.
The best tips will appear on the Guardian Travel website and may also appear in print in Guardian Travel. The winner, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet, will receive a £200 hotel voucher from UK.hotels.com.
This competition closes at 10am GMT on Tuesday 7 January 2020, and a selection of entrants will be published on or after Wednesday 9 January
Read the terms and conditions
If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here. | A+ A-
London: Researchers have identified a drug that can significantly reduce bone and cartilage progression in osteoarthritis.
In a study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers found that “MIV-711” — a novel selective cathepsin K inhibitor — can reduce disease progression in osteoarthritis.
However, the drug was not more effective than placebo for reducing pain related to knee osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a painful, disabling condition affecting more than 14 million people in the US and hundreds of millions worldwide.
The pain of knee osteoarthritis arises from a series of pathologic processes involving articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovium, meniscus, and other joint structures, ultimately leading to joint failure and pain-related functional limitations.
A team of researchers led by the University of Leeds in UK, sought to test the hypothesis that cathepsin K inhibitor could alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms by reducing degeneration of bone and cartilage.
In a multi-centre study, 244 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to receive either 100 or 200 mg daily of MIV-711 or matched placebo for 26 weeks to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of MIV-711.
The primary endpoint of the study was change in pain score, but changes in disease progression were also assessed using quantitative MRI outcomes.
The researchers found that compared with placebo, MIV-711 was associated with less bone remodelling, less cartilage volume loss, and lower levels of bone resorption and collagen loss.
However, it showed no beneficial effects on osteoarthritic knee pain.
According to the researchers, further evaluation is needed to confirm the structural benefits of MIV-711 and to determine whether these translate to more tangible benefits on disease symptoms.
The researchers said that while the work is promising, they agree that more research is needed to determine the longer term benefits of MIV-711. | 1 |
Whistleblower settles claim against emergency management agency
Former deputy who highlighted malfeasance gets $510,000, says leaders subjected her to hostile environment.
The state has agreed to pay $510,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former deputy director at the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
Laurie Holien sued the state agency overseeing that office two years ago, alleging sex discrimination and that she was retaliated against for raising concerns about malfeasance at the agency, including what she believed were misused funds, evasive answers to government auditors and efforts to obstruct requests for public records.
Holien worked as deputy director of the Office of Emergency Management from September 2013 until August 2016. In October 2017, she sued the Oregon Military Department in Marion County Circuit Court for $4 million, asserting emotional distress and economic losses.
The department administers the state's Army and Air National Guard — which is supposed to "protect life and property" during natural disasters and civil disturbances — and the Office of Emergency Management.
The settlement agreement, released to the Oregon Capital Bureau by the Oregon Department of Justice on Wednesday, Nov. 13, said the state agreed to pay Holien $110,000, representing back pay, plus $300,000. The agreement also said the state will pay $100,000 to Busse & Hunt, the law firm representing Holien.
The settlement said the agreement "is not to be construed as an admission or proof of any liability or fault whatsoever on the part of" the state.
'Hostile behavior'
The size of the settlement is significant. In March, the Oregon Legislature settled with nine women who had experienced harassment at the state Capitol for about $1 million.
Holien had alleged the military department discriminated against her for blowing the whistle on mismanagement and waste. She claimed in her lawsuit that she was discouraged from discussing what she believed was misuse of federal money and 911 funding, "evasive and/or untruthful actions and statements" by state employees in response to outside audits, and obstruction of requests for information from the press, among other forms of malfeasance.
Holien also claimed she was subject to sex discrimination, contending she was excluded from "important meetings, discussions, appearances and duties," subjected to "offensive language and conduct of a sexist nature" and prevented from doing her job and advancing in her career.
The military department did not immediately responded to a request for comment Wednesday from the Oregon Capital Bureau. Kyle Busse, Holien's attorney, was not available for comment.
In a tort claim notice submitted to the state Department of Administrative Services in January 2017, a lawyer for Holien pointed to multiple concerns the former deputy director had with how money was handled at the department and by the office of emergency management.
The claim said Holien had reported her concerns about the agency's spending and abuse of authority, and raised the alarm about her treatment as the sole female manager. She was subjected to retaliatory, discriminatory and hostile behavior, the notice said.
Holien's notice stated the Office of Emergency Management was evasive and "less than truthful" in responding to an audit on how the state used federal money. Federal auditors found $2.3 million in misspent or overspent federal money in its audit report for the grant years 2010 through 2012, according to Holien's claim.
The state agency subsequently managed another audit but Holien's claim said that agency officials were "manipulating the product." That report was eventually rejected by the feds.
Holien was then charged with managing yet another audit, according to the claim, and in that process "became aware of many more problems" with how the office managed grants.
Another claim
In 2016, a Marion County jury awarded about $966,000 to Martin Plotner, the former director of the Office of Emergency Management, who claimed in a lawsuit that he was fired three years earlier for blowing the whistle on mismanagement and sexual harassment.
The federal government demanded the office of emergency management repay about $3 million in federal grant money the state spent on personnel and other expenses without the proper permission from the federal government, according to reporting by The Oregonian in early 2018.
Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers approved a two-year budget for the military department of about $436 million.
Reporter Claire Withycombe: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 971-304-4148. | Please enable Javascript to watch this video
SAN DIEGO -- The city of San Diego's hourly minimum wage increased Wednesday from $12 to $13 for employees who work at least two hours per week.
The increase is part of the city's Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance, which voters approved as a ballot measure in 2016. The ordinance increased the city's minimum wage to $11.50 by January 2017. The state's minimum wage will also increase to $13 for companies with at least 26 employees, although San Diego's ordinance does not have an employment minimum.
Employees will continue to earn sick leave as outlined by their employer and earned sick leave can be capped at 40 hours per year, according to the city. Employers are required to post notices of the changes at their workplace in accordance with the minimum wage and sick leave ordinance. | 1.666667 |
Local digest
Pa. gaming revenue up more than 13% in November | Mumbai: Actress and Bigg Boss 12 contestant Nehha Pendse, who is soon going get hitched with her fiancé Shardul Bayas, looked more loved-up than ever on New Year’s eve as she shared a passionate kiss with him.
Nehha Tuesday took to Instagram and posted a picture in which she is seen kissing Shardul.
“Because it’s the last single girl kiss — Carrie Bradshaw,” she captioned the post. Nehha sealed the year’s last kiss with husband-to-be Shardul in short blue dress.
The two will tie the knot with her businessman beau Shardul January 5. Recently, Nehha’s family performed a grahmukh puja. She also shared the pictures from the ceremony on Instagram.
Reportedly, the couple might fly to Japan in April for their delayed honeymoon.
IANS | 1 |
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Fans of astronomy will be in their element in 2020, as the sky transforms into nature's very own light display.
The Quadrantids meteor shower is the first of the decade, expected to light up our skies on January 3/4. The Lyrids shower takes place in April, with five other celestial events expected right up until November.
Put them in your calendar and hope for good weather, because these are magical astronomical events that you won't want to miss.
Quadrantids: January 3-4
As the first meteor shower of the year and the decade, stargazers should watch out for this event late on Friday, January 3 when it's at its peak.
Unlike other meteor showers that tend to stay at their peak for about two days, the peak period of the Quadrantids only lasts a few hours.
Lyrids: April 21-22
(Image: AP/ Reinhardt/dpa)
The Lyrid meteor shower is usually active between April 16 and April 25 each year. This year it will peak, and be most visible, on April 21 after midnight and just before dawn on April 22.
The Lyrid is considered to be one of the oldest meteor showers known. It is named after the constellation Lyra.
It usually produces about 20 meteors an hour – these are made from dust particles left behind by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861.
Eta Aquarid: May 5-6
This is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Halley's Comet. It is an above average shower that favours the Southern Hemisphere. Here, stargazers can see up to 60 meteors an hour when it’s at its peak.
It will reach half that amount at 30 meteors an hour in the Northern Hemisphere.
(Image: Sunday Mail)
The Eta Aquarid shower runs each year from April 19 to May 28. This year it will be late on May 5 and in the early morning of May 6 - the best time to see in the early morning right before dawn.
Halley's Comet is arguably the most famous comet known. It is named after its discoverer - English astronomer Edmond Halley.
He examined reports of a comet approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682. He concluded these comets were actually the same one returning over and over again.
Perseids: August 12-13
This is one of the main celestial events of the summer and is regarded as one of the best showers to observe. At its peak it can produce up to 60 bright meteors per hour.
The Perseid show is produced by the Swift-Tuttle comet – which is the largest solar system object to pass so close to Earth repeatedly.
Researchers once thought that Swift-Tuttle was likely to actually hit Earth in the year 2126, but the last time it passed Earth in 1992 astronomers took more precise measurements and found its next pass would not be so dangerous.
Draconids: October 8-9
The Draconid is the first of two meteor showers that will pass through our skies in October.
It owes its name to the constellation Draco, which is a derivative of the Latin term draconem, meaning huge serpent.
The meteor is created when the Earth passes through the dust debris left by the comet 21P/ Giacobini-Zinner - sometimes the Draconid is also known as the Giacobinids.
It’s an unusual shower because it’s best seen in the early evening instead of between midnight and dawn like most other showers.
Orionids: October 20-21
The Orionid arrives every year and is visible from October 2 to November 7 when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by Halley's Comet.
The shower is expected to peak just after midnight on October 20 and right before dawn on October 21. At its peak 20 meteors an hour can be seen in the sky.
It’s called the Orionid because the meteors seem to emerge or radiate from a constellation called Orion.
Leonids: November 16-17
November’s Leonid meteor shower happens every year between the 6th and the 30th. It occurs when Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Tempel-Tuttl.
This year it will peak on the night of November, 16. The Leonid shower is unique because it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years - this is where hundreds of meteors can be seen per hour. | The name attached to a meteor shower is usually tied to the constellation in the sky from which they seem to originate, known as their radiant. For instance, the Orionid meteor shower can be found in the sky when stargazers have a good view of the Orion constellation.
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How to Watch
The best way to see a meteor shower is to get to a location that has a clear view of the entire night sky. Ideally, that would be somewhere with dark skies, away from city lights and traffic. To maximize your chances of catching the show, look for a spot that offers a wide, unobstructed view.
Bits and pieces of meteor showers are visible for a certain period of time, but they really peak visibly from dusk to dawn on a given few days. Those days are when Earth’s orbit crosses through the thickest part of the cosmic stream. Meteor showers can vary in their peak times, with some reaching their maximums for only a few hours and others for several nights. The showers tend to be most visible after midnight and before dawn.
It is best to use your naked eye to spot a meteor shower. Binoculars or telescopes tend to limit your field of view. You might need to spend about half an hour in the dark to let your eyes get used to the reduced light. Stargazers should be warned that moonlight and the weather can obscure the shows. But if that happens, there are usually meteor livestreams like the ones hosted by NASA and by Slooh.
While the International Meteor Organization lists a variety of meteor showers that could be seen, below you’ll find the showers that are most likely to be visible in the sky this year. | 4 |
Photos: San Antonio celebrates New Year's Eve at city's downtown party
Families and friends rang in the New Year at Celebrate SA, the city's official party, at La Villita and Hemisfair Tuesday night. Families and friends rang in the New Year at Celebrate SA, the city's official party, at La Villita and Hemisfair Tuesday night. Photo: B Kay Richter For MySA.com Photo: B Kay Richter For MySA.com Image 1 of / 53 Caption Close Photos: San Antonio celebrates New Year's Eve at city's downtown party 1 / 53 Back to Gallery
Locals, tourists—and thousands of Longhorns' fans—packed La Villita and Hemisfair Tuesday night to ring in 2020 at Celebrate SA, the city's official New Year's Eve party.
The event featured live music, carnival rides, games and a 15-minute fireworks show at midnight.
PHOTOS: UT, Utah fans cheer on teams at Rudy's Pep Rally in downtown San Antonio
Photos showed families and friends enjoying the night, wearing 2020 glasses, headbands and hats while at the free downtown celebration.
Click through the gallery above to see how San Antonio celebrated New Year's Eve.
Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre | Visitors and locals to downtown San Antonio celebrated New Year’s Eve in style Tuesday night as fireworks displays and college football activities pervaded the area.
The official Celebrate SA event featured plenty of food trucks, carnival games and rides, 2020 swag, and music to dance the decade away.
Celebrate SA organizers expected about 70,000 people throughout the night, and the 60,147 attendees from the Valero Alamo Bowl, which featured the University of Texas Longhorns and Utah Utes, had something to do with it.
THANK YOU to the 60,147 fans in the Dome tonight! Only 30 minutes of football left this decade – you can catch it on @espn if you’re not here! 📺 | https://t.co/46kRRPNV8K pic.twitter.com/4qUmEkHEid — Valero Alamo Bowl (@valeroalamobowl) January 1, 2020
Dick Stewart just moved to the small town of Spring Branch about 35 miles north of San Antonio from Longview, and this is his first year celebrating in San Antonio.
On a typical New Year’s Eve Stewart would typically stay home in his East Texas home where large parties and fireworks are not the norm.
When asked if he was excited about the upcoming fireworks Stewart replied, “I’m beside myself, aren’t you?”
As crowds continue to grow, the color burnt orange seemed to be the theme of the evening, and spirits were high. | 4 |
Kevin Holland Jo Bamford Tom Gentile John Wood
The four Northern Ireland business leaders worth looking out for in 2020 BelfastTelegraph.co.uk At The start of 2019, it would have been inconceivable to think that the year would bring such upheaval to our biggest companies, writes Margaret Canning. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/the-four-northern-ireland-business-leaders-worth-looking-out-for-in-2020-38825372.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/00871/38826358.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/business_faces_.JPG
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At The start of 2019, it would have been inconceivable to think that the year would bring such upheaval to our biggest companies, writes Margaret Canning.
Happily, the financial problems and subsequent administrations at Harland and Wolff and Wrights Group led to relatively positive outcomes, with both now under new ownership.
But in the case of Wrightbus, around 1,300 lost their jobs with only a limited number so far redeployed by new owners, Bamford Bus Company. Bombardier in Northern Ireland was sold to US firm Spirit AeroSystems.
Economic development agency Invest NI is looking into a new decade with new leaders, chief executive Kevin Holland and chairperson Rose Mary Stalker.
Here we look at what 2020 might bring for the people likely to be our highest-profile business leaders:
Tom Gentile: The Spirit AeroSystems chief executive had warm words for Bombardier in Belfast when its takeover was announced, saying it had an "impressive position in business jet fuselage production" as well as its Airbus A220 wings manufacturing operation.
He said the deal was part of its growth plan of increasing Airbus content. That will be a greater imperative than ever as the company has been a major Boeing customer and will be badly hit after Boeing suspended production of its 737 Max aircraft following two crashes which took 346 lives. Revenue from 737 components brings in more than half of Spirit's annual revenue and the company has said the suspension will hit its "business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows". For that reason, it will be looking at its costs in 2020 - which may not mean much of a honeymoon period in Belfast. | 'As we enter 2020, let us all stop fighting over Northern Ireland's future and start fighting for it instead' (stock photo)
Editor's Viewpoint: Let us refocus on a better future for all BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Some people like New Year's Eve while others loathe it, both for the same reason, as it is a time for reflection. It is also a time for resolutions, to be kept or not, and for such adventures as a Dry January after so much Christmas overindulgence. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/editors-viewpoint/editors-viewpoint-let-us-refocus-on-a-better-future-for-all-38823468.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/incoming/5c2ea/38824168.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/stormontfront.jpg
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Some people like New Year's Eve while others loathe it, both for the same reason, as it is a time for reflection. It is also a time for resolutions, to be kept or not, and for such adventures as a Dry January after so much Christmas overindulgence.
It is also an opportunity to take stock of where we are now. In 2010 the political situation was not perfect, but Stormont was running and the political institutions were bedding in. Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness were working together in a partnership which now seems like a halcyon period of bridge-building.
We now have the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and we see the roots that were eventually to choke the Assembly. These included the failure to follow through on political agreements, and a growing lack of trust.
This led to the present long impasse, with the scandal of RHI, the decisions - or lack of them - which led to the NHS crisis, and the conspicuous failure to remove the gun from politics once and for all.
There was also the significant inability of our politicians to grasp the full implications of Brexit, well before the 2016 Referendum. No one is saying that they bear full responsibility for the current Brexit plague on all our houses, but they stand accused of not giving better leadership.
The past decade was also a time when we learned slowly and painfully that we are on our own and the outside world, not unreasonably, expects us to show that we can stand on our own two feet.
However, it is not all bad news. These are exciting times for Ulster University in developing its new Belfast campus, and for Queen's University with its important scientific developments. | 1.333333 |
When news finally broke that Carles Alena was heading to Real Betis on loan for the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, there was a tacit acknowledgment that it was for the benefit of both player and club.
Whilst the majority of supporters don’t agree that the youngster should have to ply his trade elsewhere and has to be given the chance to build on his appearances from last season at the Camp Nou, the plain fact is that he has been consistently overlooked since August.
With no purchase option available for the Verdiblancos, it does at least look as though Barca are being forward thinking in Alena’s case and allowing him much-needed match time elsewhere, but absolutely with a view to bringing him back at season’s end.
By then, it would be difficult to justify keeping Ivan Rakitic in the side, and Sergio Busquets certainly needs to be considered on a less frequent basis than he is currently.
A midfield consisting of any mix of De Jong, Arthur, Alena and Puig would arguably be the pick for most culers, with Sergi Roberto perhaps still considered in what was once his rightful position.
That would mean that there’s no room for Arturo Vidal of course.
Nor should there be after a frankly ill-advised complaint filed over the Christmas period.
Let’s be clear firstly that the Chilean, just like Paulinho before him, has exceeded expectations in the role for which he was bought.
So far this season, Arturo Vidal scores a goal every 105 minutes he plays, making him the 3rd most efficient attacking player in la Liga.
Kind of crazy. pic.twitter.com/Ogr0jZaBtE — totalBarça (@totalBarca) December 26, 2019
There is a school of thought that has some merit, whereby Vidal should also have been getting more game time than he has been receiving of late.
However, it’s not the first time that his true colours have shown through. Remember the angry emoji incident not long after his signing?
This latest, stunning lack of professionalism, has to end with him being shown the exit door.
#FCB | Arturo Vidal files complaint against Barcelona over €2.4 million worth of unpaid bonuses https://t.co/x2VOMJdZWi — Republic (@republic) December 30, 2019
He may well be owed bonuses by the club, but playing out the situation in the public domain is, I would suggest, purely to engineer a move away, most likely to Inter. That is abhorrent.
His assertion that it’s his agent and lawyer that are taking things forward, as if to absolve himself of blame, is preposterous, and it followed on from his training ground meltdown pre-Clasico when he realised that he wouldn’t be making the starting XI against Real Madrid.
These types of childish actions do not befit a 32-year-old experienced professional.
Though he would be a loss to the squad for what he does bring to both the pitch and the dressing room, Barca can’t possibly countenance keeping a player that has denounced them in public and filed a lawsuit against them whilst still in their employ.
If the board aren’t a laughing stock already, they will be if they allow Vidal to stay after this. | Barcelona have reportedly decided not to sell Arturo Vidal to Inter Milan in the January transfer window despite interest from the Serie A leaders.
The Catalan giants have decided against allowing the Chile international to move because they have already loaned Carles Alena to Real Betis and have Arthur out injured.
Cadena Cope report that despite Vidal’s complaint about unpaid bonuses and frustration at not being at starter the club want to keep him for the rest of the season.
Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti has made his club’s interest in Vidal pretty clear in the last few days saying he is a “player with great character and experience, so we’ll see what happens.”
However, Barca confirmed that Alena would spent the rest of the season on loan at Betis earlier in the week and also announced Arthur is out for another three weeks.
The Brazilian has not featured for Barcelona since the win over Atletico Madrid at the start of the month, and there seems to be some concern about when he will be back to his best.
The absence of the two players means that Barca are down to just Frenkie de Jong, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Vidal in midfield, although Sergi Roberto is also an option. | 2.666667 |
CALGARY—Hilary Chapple came out in 1984. She became an activist in the early 1990s and has been advocating for LGBTQ rights in Alberta ever since.
When Chapple became homeless in 2012, she said being LGBTQ made it even more difficult. Even at a shelter, a place where many find community beyond just a warm bed, Chapple experienced discrimination.
She wanted to advocate for better training and help shelters and agencies be more inclusive, but found there wasn’t much research on the LGBTQ homeless experience. So she took matters into her own hands.
Though not an academic herself, Chapple developed a survey for LGBTQ people in Calgary with previous or current experience of homelessness. She got 23 respondents with diverse backgrounds — from ages 18 to 82, transgender, non-binary, lesbian, gay and everything in between.
Despite the respondents’ differences, overwhelmingly Chapple got the same answer: they had all experienced discrimination, they all had mental health issues, and most said they didn’t feel inclusive services, such as LGBTQ-specific counselling, were available at places they accessed help. Fourteen said they didn’t feel their shelter promoted inclusivity or diversity.
Chapple is setting out to change that by designing an information and training session for shelters and other agencies to help them implement more inclusive policies and practices. It’s not always malice, she said, but a matter of ignorance, and she hopes agencies that take the training will be able to improve their services.
“I know this is the right thing to do,” said Chapple, who hopes to take the training program beyond Alberta.
‘Forced to leave home’: Why LGBTQ people are overrepresented among the homeless
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Independent scientist and researcher Alex Abramovich has been researching LGBTQ youth and homelessness for the past decade, after noticing the same gap in academia that Chapple did.
LGBTQ people are overrepresented in the homeless population, Abramovich said, but often have more trouble accessing services and are “under represented in housing programs and in shelters.”
He added that identity-based family conflict could be a major factor for why that is.
“They’re forced to leave home or they’re kicked out of the house, and oftentimes, they’re forced to leave because of the discrimination or violence that’s happening.”
Finding stable housing is hard, especially when you’re experiencing mental health issues, said Chapple, and discrimination makes it harder.
“Dignity and respect is not tied to a set of keys,” she said.
Though more than half of the respondents said they had been treated respectfully at a shelter with regards to their sexual or gender identity, several others recounted experiences with homophobic staff, said Chapple. One respondent said they were told being gay was a sin.
One major problem Chapple sees is a lack of inclusivity training for shelter staff, as well as issues with the intake process for clients.
Her own training program begins with an overview of the common mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ people. For example, she highlights the fact that almost all of her respondents said they struggled with mental health, such as PTSD or depression. The majority of them first experienced homelessness before the age of 20.
In the training, Chapple recommends that shelters also review their intake processes for binary enforcement, such as only offering male and female options.
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‘They actually want to do better’
Chapple cites Abramovich’s research to back up her findings, highlighting that LGBTQ youth are at a higher risk of mental health concerns.
In 2015, Abramovich worked with the government of Alberta to develop a strategy to tackle LGBTQ youth homelessness.
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“A lot of these services, they actually want to do better,” said Abramovich. “They want to provide the support, but they just don’t know how, they don’t have the training, or they don’t have the tools and the resources to do so.”
There have been some positive changes, he added. For example, this year the federal government started including gender and sexuality information on its annual Point-in-Time survey, which attempts to chronicle how many people are homeless on a given night in Canada.
And his work in Alberta resulted in a report with a number of recommendations, all of which were accepted by the government, Abramovich said. Included in the recommendations was training for shelter staff created by local agencies, and a guideline for inclusivity for shelters to adhere to.
However, Abramovich notes that the next step would be to make inclusivity standards and training programs mandatory for all shelter staff, otherwise those who need it most might never receive it.
Chapple said she wants to see training based on lived experience, which is part of why she created a program of her own that she hopes will help end the homophobia LGBTQ people experiencing homelessness say they are often faced with.
“It’s got to stop. This is 2019. Knock it off.”
Many of Chapple’s survey respondents said they didn’t have enough LGBTQ-specific services, which is why she wants to establish more, such as a weekly support group. Her training program explicitly recommends shelters form groups of their own, and ensures that LGBTQ adults are consulted in the creation of updated policies or training.
Abramovich said this is a key component that’s missing from how many cities address homelessness.
In Toronto, the YMCA has a small transitional housing program for LGBTQ youth, he said. And in Alberta, the Boys and Girls Club has Aura, which matches LGBTQ youth with host families.
It’s services like these that make LGBTQ people more comfortable reaching out for help, and can often make a big difference early on, he said.
“We have these different strategies that focus on homelessness and poverty and housing. So within those strategies, we have to prioritize populations ... that are disproportionately represented,” he said. “This is a very serious safety issue.”
Chapple also wants to conduct a similar survey in Edmonton and compare the results. Eventually, she said she’d like to take this training beyond Alberta.
She said she knows she can make a difference with her work.
“I’ve done it already. Why would I not keep going?” she said. “I believe in me.”
Read more about: | It’s a show of epic proportions with Albertan roots.
The We Will Rock You tour brings the songs of Queen across North America, with a cast and crew made up of people primarily from the Edmonton and Calgary area.
“[Producers] usually draw from all over the world to do a show like this. To get the type of talent they did in Alberta…it was just phenomenal,” Drummer Chad Melchert explained.
The team is currently touring Canada, after completing more than 70 shows across the United States.
“We do our show every day and we get on a bus and we go to sleep. We’ve been very fortunate to see so many cities and meet so many great people. If this is the rock star life, then I’ll take it!” Melchert said.
Cheering from the sidelines are Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, who act as music supervisors.
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“We get video messages from them, wishing us luck on the tour,” Melchert said.
“I would never have dreamed that would’ve happened when I was listening to Queen as a kid. These guys, they revamped the music for us to play. It’s pretty special.” Tweet This
Melchert, who lives in Morinville, said the Edmonton area is a hotbed of talent.
“You can do anything from anywhere. Edmonton is a great place to do it. We have a great cultural scene. I’m very proud to be from here.”
For Edmonton actor Brian Christensen, performing at the Jubilee Auditorium feels like a homecoming.
“I’ve seen so many shows at the Jubilee. I would always think about what it would be like to be on the stage,” Christensen said. Tweet This
“I came and saw The Lion King at the Jubilee a few years ago and I was close to the front of the stage. While they were doing bows and everyone was clapping, I turned around and faced the audience to see what it would be like to be on the stage.”
Being on the stage is a powerful moment for many in the show, “under pressure” to make it come alive.
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“There’s an underbelly of arts in Edmonton and Calgary. We’re all just waiting for an opportunity to show the rest of the country and the world what we’ve got,” Christensen said.
READ MORE: Edmonton man attends 27th Rolling Stones concert
When the tour is over, Melchert will return to his regular gig playing with country singer Gord Bamford.
“Alberta is Alberta to me. It’s really cool to work with a group of Albertans and Canadians. To have that Alberta connection is really cool. It’s really comforting on the road.” | 1.333333 |
Mark Twain was once published in this Northern California newspaper.
More than a century later, the Mountain Messenger appears to be nearing its final days.
Editor-publisher Don Russell had spent the past year trying to sell the state’s oldest weekly newspaper with no luck. He is planning to retire by the middle of January, at which point publication will end.
“It does feel like a death in the family,” Russell said. “The flip side is, it’ll be quite liberating for me.”
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The news first appeared in the paper’s Dec. 12 edition, with a call for someone to take over the paper.
“At this writing, it appears the alternative will be to simply close up shop, scrub the ink off the floors, and make some other banner claim to be California’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper,” Russell wrote.
California’s oldest weekly newspaper could soon close up shop
Word spread quickly through Downieville, a town of about 200 where the Mountain Messenger office is located.
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“I can’t stop crying,” said Jill Tahija, who began at the paper as a typesetter 11 years ago. “There’s a lot of historical value here, as well as sentimental.”
The paper dates to 1853, when it was started as a twice-monthly publication.
It became the Mountain Messenger in 1854 or 1855 and moved to La Porte and then to Downieville, a Gold Rush community about 110 miles northeast of Sacramento.
The paper’s claim to fame is that Twain once wrote there while hiding out from the law. He was only there for a couple of weeks, writing under his real name, Sam Clemens, according to Russell, who read some of his articles on microfilm.
“They were awful,” Russell said. “They were just local stories, as I recall, written by a guy with a hangover.”
Russell became co-owner of the paper, known around the area as the “Mountain Mess,” in the early 1990s. Before that, he had written stories for the Detroit News and sold feature stories to the Seattle Times.
Scott McDermid loads freshly printed copies of the Mountain Messenger, the oldest weekly newspaper in Sierra County, into a vehicle. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
The Mountain Messenger, which publishes on Thursdays, has a circulation of about 2,400 on its best day. For the last two years, Russell said, “I haven’t taken a salary to speak of.”
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Russell has run local ads, as well as an ad in the Newspaper Publishers Association, trying to get someone to take over.
“Nobody in their right mind would buy this paper,” Russell said, with a laugh.
He’s tried to give it away, he said, but locally the demographics are against it.
“People who read and are still in Sierra County are my age, and they have better things to do than run a newspaper,” the 70-year-old said.
Meanwhile, in another city and after 161 years of publishing, the Martinez News-Gazette is printing its final edition on Sunday. That paper, which covered the city of Martinez, the seat of Contra Costa County, had been losing money.
The Mountain Messenger has been able to hang on because of income generated from running legal notices. As the only adjudicated newspaper in Sierra County, it is the county’s sole qualifier to publish them under state law. If the paper stops printing, there would be no such outlet.
“Everybody says, ‘You can’t let the Mess die,” Russell said. “Well, yes, I can. I’ve been trying to get rid of it for two years. ... I don’t want to be a prick about it, but I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I’m tired of it.”
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Russell covers school board meetings, federal land use and everything else in Sierra and Plumas counties — some of the most rural areas of California. Last week’s edition included a story on the county board of supervisor’s stance on the concept of a customer-owned PG&E, as well reports of a “damn dog that wouldn’t stop barking” in the sheriff’s blotter.
It also featured a call to subscribe, with the words “Mark Twain wrote here,” next to a drawing of the writer’s head. But the paper is no longer cashing checks from subscribers, Tahija said. The renewal cards she usually sends out the second week of the month are still sitting on her desk.
At the paper, Tahija does “just about everything except for write the front page.” The 54-year-old handles subscriptions, invoices, typesetting and proofreading.
“It’s more than a job to me,” Tahija said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. This is what I know, this is what I love.”
Every week, Lee Adams, a Sierra County supervisor, reads the Mountain Messenger. If the Downieville resident is in Nevada City on a Thursday, he picks up a 50-cent copy from a news rack there.
Adams’ family has subscribed to the paper since the 1970s.
“It has chronicled our history for 166 years, and to see it disappear now is just quite sad,” Adams said. “This is more than a newspaper, it really is an institution.” | LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Golden Globes, known as the “party of the year,” is going with a meatless menu for its 77th annual awards show.
Guests will be served a 100% plant-based meal just ahead of showtime Sunday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Thursday that it wants the initiative to raise environmental awareness about food consumption and waste.
“If there’s a way we can, not change the world, but save the planet, maybe we can get the Golden Globes to send a signal and draw attention to the issue about climate change,” HFPA president Lorenzo Soria said. “The food we eat, the way we grow the food we eat, the way we dispose of the food is one of the large contributors to the climate crisis.”
The annual awards ceremony will air on NBC from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
Soria said there was some initial push back about changing the menu just about two weeks before the show, but the hotel eventually agreed on the new menu.
“People were basically saying it’s too late, we’re ready with all the orders, the holidays and all that,” he said. “But after we began discussions, meeting for one or two days, (the hotel) accepted the change completely. They started to experiment with how to do plant-based meals that was not just their symbolic steps, but also something that guests will enjoy.”
Matthew Morgan, executive chef at The Beverly Hilton, called the menu change initially surprising. But he ultimately understood it would send a positive message.
“It was a little shocking when first mentioned, because of being very close to the actual Globes and having already decided on a menu,” he said. “But once we thought about it and the message that it sent, we were really excited about it. That’s something I stand behind myself.”
Items on the main entree include king oyster mushrooms scallops and wild mushroom risotto, along with roasted baby purple and green Brussels sprouts and carrots. A chilled golden beet soup will be served as an appetizer.
HFPA partnered with Icelandic Glacial, a naturally alkaline and sustainably-sourced natural spring water. The water will be served in glass bottles to eliminate plastic waste in the ballroom and red carpet, which is reused at other events throughout the year.
Soria called the food “excellent” after a recent taste-testing.
Morgan said making the change wasn’t too difficult. He said the first course was already vegan and the main course was a vegan alternate in which they enhanced the dish to add some “pop and color to the plate.”
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 1 |
Bobbi Kristina Brown’s former boyfriend, Nick Gordon, has died from a suspected drug overdose.
The 30 year old’s brother, Jack Walker, Jr., broke the news on social media on Wednesday.
“GOD WHY I DID I HAVE TO LOSE MY BROTHER ON NEW YEARS,” he posted on Facebook, adding, “All I can do is cry.”
He went on to pay tribute by sharing a series of photos of the siblings, and wrote, “I love you so much big brother I hope you heard me talking to you at your bedside you are with me and I can feel it I love you I love you I love you watch over me and your nieces (sic).”
Walker, Jr. went on to reveal Gordon had been hospitalized and he was by his brother’s side when he passed away.
He has since confirmed Gordon’s death in a statement issued to People.com.
“We are devastated by the loss of my beautiful brother,” he says. “He leaves a void in the hearts of my family and his friends.
“Nick’s battle in life was not an easy one. I will be forever grateful that my God afforded a small moment at the very end of Nick’s life, and I was able to hold his hand as he journeyed on.”
According to the Daily Mail, Gordon suffered a series of heart attacks on Wednesday and was admitted to the intensive care unit at Altamonte Springs Hospital in Florida, where he was later pronounced dead.
Gordon was dating Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, at the time of her drug overdose in January, 2015, when she was found unresponsive in the bathtub of the home they shared in Georgia.
She was placed in a medically-induced coma, but never woke up, and died in July, 2015, aged 22.
Gordon was sued for wrongful death by Bobbi Kristina’s father and her estate executor, who accused him of abusing the aspiring actress, and claimed he had given her a “toxic cocktail” of substances, which made her lose consciousness as she bathed.
He maintained his innocence, but in 2016, he was found civilly liable for Bobbi Kristina’s death, and was ordered to hand over $36 million in damages. | Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
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The ex-fiancé of the late Bobbi Kristina Brown reportedly died of a suspected overdose on New Year’s Day in Florida.
Nick Gordon, 30, suffered a series of heart attacks after the alleged drug overdose and later died at Altamonte Springs Hospital, according to The Daily Mail.
His brother, Junior Walker, mourned his death in Facebook post, writing, “God why did I have to lose my brother on New Years.”
“All I can do is cry,” the post continued.
In January 2015, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, was found unconscious in the bathtub of her Georgia home after a suspected drug overdose. Gordon was in the home at the time.
Brown is the daughter of Whitney Houston, who drowned in a bathtub in January 2012. Houston was placed into a medically-induced coma and died six months later.
The man who discovered Brown in the bathtub, friend Max Lomas, died of a fentanyl overdose in August 2018. | 3.666667 |
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will open its first-ever housing unit for select inmates verified as U.S. veterans, which is expected to support successful transition post-release.
Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV) at the Theo Lacy Facility will include 32 beds, patriotic-themed murals on the walls, 55-inch televisions, game room-style tables, and flags representing each branch of the military hung overhead.
To participate in HUMV, inmates must meet specific security criteria and agree to actively participate in the programming.
Inmates assigned to the unit will get access to additional privileges including more out-of-cell time and programming tailored to veterans such as peer mentoring, post-release employment resources and workshops, financial planning classes, and substance abuse services, among other programs.
HUMV inmates will be moved in starting January 2, 2020.
“This is not just a new housing unit with different paint on the walls. This is a program model designed to go one step further in better assisting those who have served our country,” said Sheriff Don Barnes. “The Sheriff’s Department dedicates much time and resources to build diverse and effective programming for all inmates with the hope that when released from custody, individuals will not recidivate.”
OCSD Correctional Programs has partnered with 10 agencies to provide programming for HUMV, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Tierney Center for Veteran Services, Working Wardrobes and the Orange County Probation Department, among others.
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Captain Mark Noble has urged West Ham supporters to “get behind” new manager David Moyes, adding he is the “best person for the job”.
In an open letter to fans, midfielder Noble, 32, said Moyes was “really liked and respected” by Hammers players who had worked with him during his first spell in charge at the club.
Noble added that he often blames himself for the club’s misfortunes.
In his previous spell in charge, from November 2017-May 2018, the Scot recorded nine wins and 10 draws from 31 games and led the club to Premier League safety. | 1 |
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Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. | PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitian President Jovenel Moïse broke with tradition on Wednesday and celebrated the country’s independence day in the capital for security reasons following months of political turmoil.
Moïse, whose government has been accused of corruption, denounced graft during his speech at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and urged Haiti’s elite to work with the government and help create employment.
“We’re still extremely poor,” he said. “Those who continue to get rich find it normal that they do not pay taxes, find it normal that there can be no competition, find it normal that they set prices for consumers, especially when this consumer is the state itself.”
Moïse also apologized for the country’s ongoing power outages and renewed his 2016 campaign pledge to provide electricity 24 hours a day, saying it was harder to accomplish than he imagined.
The speech that marked the 216th anniversary of the world’s first black republic was originally slated to take place in the northern coastal town of Gonaives, where Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence. But the town, like many others, was hit by violent protests that began in September amid anger over corruption, fuel shortages and dwindling food supplies as opposition leaders and supporters demanded the resignation of Moïse. More than 40 people have been killed and dozens injured.
Large-scale protests in Port-au-Prince have since dissipated, although smaller ones are still occurring elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday, opposition leaders and supporters gathered in Gonaives to attend the funeral of an anti-government protester and then carried his coffin through the streets as more protesters joined them.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 1 |
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating after officers allegedly shot and wounded a man in St. Catharines.
The Special Investigations Unit says the incident happened on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, when Niagara regional police officers arrived at a home where a man reportedly had a knife.
The agency says the officers found the man, and there was some sort of interaction between them.
It says the officers then shot at him, and he was hit several times.
The SIU says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The arm’s-length agency is automatically called in to investigate reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020.
The Canadian Press | HALIFAX -- Halifax police have launched an arson investigating following a structure fire in an apartment building.
Halifax Regional Police say several callers reported smoke in the Victoria Road apartment building on Wednesday afternoon.
No one was hurt and tenants were temporarily evacuated as firefighters extinguished the blaze.
Police say fire investigators confirmed the fire was intentionally set and handed the probe over to officers.
The arson investigation is ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2020. | 1.666667 |
Uncut Gems casts Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a slick, fast-talking jeweler who attempts to pull off a series of high-stakes bets to pay off the various debt collectors on his tail. Filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie have infused Uncut Gems with an impressively stylish sensibility that’s reflected in its myriad of attributes, with, especially, Daniel Lopatin’s ominous score and Darius Khondji’s lush, captivating visuals effectively perpetuating the Safdies’ visceral sensibilities. And although the picture boasts an absolutely spellbinding turn from Sandler, with the actor delivering an impressively transformative performance, Uncut Gems‘ episodic structure paves the way for an exceedingly erratic midsection that’s rarely as engrossing and tense as one might’ve anticipated – with the film’s arms-length atmosphere compounded by the protagonist’s somewhat inexplicable behavior (ie why doesn’t he just stop?) The ongoing inclusion of admittedly absorbing sequences (eg Howard attempts to repair a security door in his shop) proves effective at buoying one’s interest on a fairly regular basis, at least, and yet Uncut Gems‘ lack of connective tissue ensures that the whole thing hardly concludes on the taut note that the Safdies have clearly intended – which is a shame, certainly, given that the movie does boast a whole handful of better-than-average elements. (Sandler is indeed just that good here, despite the always-distracting fake teeth.)
** out of **** | by Jay Spight
The Safdie brothers are not the best-known directors that Adam Sandler has taken a serious turn for, but they might be after Uncut Gems, their third feature. First going quirky in Paul Thomas Anderson’s excellent Wes Anderson impression Punch Drunk Love, then playing artsy in Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories, Sandler as a serious (read: non-comedic) actor has been fully, if not frequently, vetted. And the Safdie brothers’ panic-attack directing style fits Sandler like a bespoke glove, one that is equally hideous and captivating.
The titular uncut gem is a fist-sized hunk of rock, mottled with iridescent nebulas of black opal that jeweler Howard Ratner (Sandler) imported from the mines of Ethiopia. It is the central MacGuffin around which this tornado of a film swirls. Opening at the desert mines, the white title card recalls classic adventure movies, and as the camera zooms in on the sparkling stones, and the fascinating, lilting score of synthesizers and flutes builds (the film owes much of its wired intensity to the superb score and sound design), the stone becomes a universe, and the universe becomes . . . the inside of Howard’s colon, and you realize there’s something a bit more here than just a crime thriller.
From there, the roller coaster’s nose tilts, and it’s a screaming-fast descent to the end. Howard somehow lends the stone to Boston Celtics superstar Kevin Garnett (excellent, as himself) who thinks the opals give him magical basketball powers. Howard is avoiding debt collectors while pawning off collateral to make outrageous bets on the Celtics (he’s a Knicks fan), while trying to get the stone back from Garnett so it can go to auction, while also dealing with his children, his all-but separated wife, his mistress and more collectors. It almost plays like a heist movie, each success being met with another setback. How is he gonna get out of this? Should he get out of this? Howard is, by all definitions, not a good guy, but as the film closes, the camera moves through the microscopic, incandescent opal, and the stone becomes a universe again, it doesn’t really matter, because Sandler and the Safdie brothers have made something rough and real.
The name Martin Scorsese shows up in the opening with an apt executive producer credit. Uncut Gems harkens back to Scorsese’s early meditations on anti-morality set against the grimy backdrop of his favorite diamond in the rough: NYC.
Uncut Gems’ New York (set in 2012) is just as visceral; you can practically smell the hair grease, the cheap cologne and the sweat. It’s like it comes with the accent, the gold jewelry and the F-bombs spouted with the ease and frequency of breathing. The Safdies put you right up close to all of this, rub your nose in it with kinetic, claustrophobic shots—at the club, in the jewelers, at the pawn shop—and they don’t let you go. There’s beauty in this dirt, and they want you to see it. | 4 |
It was only two years ago that Toyota brought its Entune infotainment system to Canada, but now with 2020 upon us, it’s waving it goodbye.
Toyota ended its infotainment isolation when it adopted Apple CarPlay, starting with the 2019 Avalon, and subsequently moving on to a handful of other 2019 models, followed up after that by several more in the 2020 lineup. Android Auto was left out until the automaker announced it would be adding Google’s platform to the 2020 Tacoma, 4Runner, Tundra and Sequoia.
I got to test this new-look platform in a 2020 Tacoma 4×4 truck, which starts at $43,750, but is $58,000 with all the optional features thrown in. CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, though.
The resulting combination here is a significant shift the other way for Toyota. Long a holdout in letting Apple and Google do anything in its dashboards, it appears to be embracing them in a big way.
The basics
Previously, Entune was the infotainment system unto itself, but it now plays a middleman role. Much of the Linux-based software Toyota would’ve used for that platform makes up the middleware that supports what is currently available now.
All the previous app integration Toyota pushed — Scout GPS Link, plus the other ones that came with it — are gone. There is a built-in navigation map, though not a match for Google Maps and Waze. Maybe out in an area where cellular coverage is low, but otherwise, it’s nothing to get excited about.
Even third-party apps Toyota previously integrated, like Yelp, Slacker and NPR One, are all gone too. The only app I saw in the ‘Apps’ section was Toyota’s own for connecting to the vehicle, which I’ll touch on later.
Connections and layout
As is now typical for most Toyota vehicles these days, the Tacoma has a dedicated USB port under the climate control for plugging in smartphones. I was surprised that I didn’t see an extra port beyond that, including inside the centre console storage bin, but the 12-volt socket offers a way to remedy that through a plugged-in charger.
There’s also the Qi wireless charging pad in the space below the connectivity ports. Any phone supporting the standard works just fine, and Toyota included a button to turn the feature on or off. It doesn’t function as its own physical input, meaning you can’t run CarPlay or Android Auto through it. However, it can stay connected via Bluetooth when charging there.
Speaking of Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free and Google Assistant both work when phones are paired. Toyota also maintains its preference for mapping those voice platforms to the steering wheel’s call button, rather than the voice button, which only works with the automaker’s own voice assistant.
There is an in-car SIM embedded in the vehicle, though still no Wi-Fi hotspot to use. The connection is purely for over-the-air updates to the infotainment system and communicating via Toyota’s mobile app.
The 8-inch display (7-inches if you go with the base trim) looks to be the same as previous Toyota models. It’s relatively bright, though not with the same level of sharpness that I’ve seen in other cars. Despite that, it does have improved responsiveness and pinch-to-zoom is better as a result.
Shortcuts to various points in the system are still lined up along the sides of the display, with dials for volume and tuning along the bottom.
CarPlay and Android Auto
Only two years ago, this scenario seemed out of reach for any Toyota owner, unless they managed to install an aftermarket head unit. Apple, and especially Google, were persona non grata for years. Seeing them in this vehicle was interesting, primarily because they are so dominant throughout.
Without either CarPlay or Android Auto running, Toyota’s Connected Services don’t offer much on the table. Once you plug in an iPhone or Android device, however, the full breadth of those platforms comes to the fore. It’s why I viewed this as a transformative about-face.
But it’s one that makes sense. Toyota owners, be they existing or prospective, lamented the absence of what was readily available from competitors. The timing, while late, at least benefits from the facelifts both recently received. The new-look CarPlay home screen is a big step forward in accessibility, while the revamped Android Auto is a major improvement, in my opinion.
There was an odd usability caveat I noticed. With a phone plugged in, the home screen would show CarPlay or Android Auto occupying one of the sections. When I tapped it, it took me to the audio page, where I had to tap the corresponding platform again just to get to the interface. Not a deal-breaker, but unnecessary when there’s a physical audio button that would take me to the same screen.
If I pushed the menu button, I would see a grid of options. Selecting CarPlay or Android Auto from there usually led to a direct shortcut. Again, not anything terrible, only less efficient than it could’ve been.
Otherwise, both platforms worked as expected. I would have liked to see the integration go so far as to show Google Maps or Waze on the Connected Services home screen (only the built-in nav shows up there), but I guess it would’ve been too much of an integration at that point.
I do like that Toyota maintained quick access to four chosen contacts on the home screen, making it easy to communicate without diving further into the system.
Music, calls and voice commands
As I noted earlier, two voice platforms run parallel to one another. If you want to use Siri or Google Assistant, you can certainly stick with those, but Toyota feels its own platform can step in too. It uses the same 10-step training process, where you have to read different phrases to help it learn your voice.
It’s not bad at all, mainly because it removed some of the needless back-and-forth of prior versions. For instance, you would have had to qualify what you wanted to do by verbalizing the category you wanted. For texting, you would’ve had to say, “messaging” first before issuing a command.
Now, saying “send a message to (name)” gets the job done, provided it’s a contact in your phone’s address book. I had less luck doing it with phone numbers, presumably because it didn’t always catch every number I spoke.
For calls and messages, Toyota’s voice recognition system is quite good, but I often leaned toward Siri or Google Assistant to cover those bases, especially since I could also message on WhatsApp.
Bringing in CarPlay and Android Auto also dramatically changes the music experience. Bluetooth audio streaming is pretty much unchanged, which is fine, but being able to play music by voice command is always great. Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Deezer, Tidal — all of these apps would never have been integrated otherwise.
Toyota app
The Toyota app is not to be confused with the Entune app. They are two separate things, and the latter played no role with the 2020 Tacoma. The primary functions are basic communication with the vehicle, like remote starting, locking, mileage and last known location. When I used it, there was always a 10-15 second delay between pressing one of the buttons on the app and seeing it happen in the vehicle. Anytime I remote started, the engine would shut off once I unlocked the doors to get in.
Toyota did throw in some other features to add some peace of mind. There are sections for valet, friends and family, where you can set restrictions on how far they can drive. The catch is that the restrictions aren’t binding, meaning the vehicle can go past them. It’s just that you would know they did by looking at the app as the administrator afterward. Great for helicopter parents and scrutinizing a shady valet, but also making sure it’s handled with some care.
There’s also a driver score section. Nothing binding here, either, just more a measure of how much TLC the driver delivers with things related to speed, braking and turning.
Retrofit options
In the United States, the Tacoma also has Amazon Alexa built-in. Don’t expect it to come to Canada with a future update, as there are no plans to do so.
However, other Toyota vehicles are currently available for CarPlay retrofits. The eligible models are the 2018 Camry, 2018 Camry Hybrid and 2018 Sienna. Up until December 7, 2019, it cost $60 to get the job done at a dealership if you exceeded the 3-year/60,000km Basic Warranty period. It’s still $60 if you’re under that, but not clear what it is if you’ve gone past those limits.
Unfortunately, Android Auto isn’t in the mix, and the retrofit doesn’t apply to Google’s platform. That’s the current situation, which may or may not change. I didn’t get any confirmation that it would. | Only a few hours into 2020 and Missouri’s second largest city recorded four homicides in multiple shootings across St. Louis.
The St. Louis Police Department told KMOV the incidents – in which a total of eight people were shot – began rolling in shortly after midnight, when a teenager was shot in the thigh in a neighborhood on the city’s northwest side.
The teenager was rushed to an area hospital and was listed in stable condition, police said.
Not even a half-hour after the first incident was reported, three people were found fatally shot in an intersection in the city’s Benton Park neighborhood. A fourth victim was discovered shot in the leg at the location just before 12:30 a.m.
CALIFORNIA MAN WHOSE LAPTOP STOLEN AT STARBUCKS FATALLY STRUCK BY SUSPECT’S VEHICLE WHILE TRYING TO GET IT BACK, POLICE SAY
Officials told FOX2 the victims have not been identified and no arrests have been made in connection with those shootings.
Authorities were called to a third shooting in north St. Louis, where a man was found shot to death around 2:40 a.m. Another man at the scene who was conscious and breathing was rushed to an area hospital.
Shortly after the third shooting, a fourth incident was reported on the 3400 block of Wyoming Ave., where a man reported suffering a graze wound after gunfire was reported. The man was transported to an area hospital, according to FOX2.
IDAHO COLD CASE OF OUTLAW MISSING SINCE 1916 SOLVED BY DNA, GENETIC GENEALOGY
The violent early hours of 2020 were not confined to just city limits. Another early-morning shooting was reported in the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, Mo. Officers responded to a 911 call around 1:30 a.m. and found two teens shot at the home.
The homeowner told officials that around 75 to 80 teens were at the home for a New Year’s Eve party when a gunman walked through the front door and opened fire, FOX2 reported. The two teenagers were transported to an area hospital. Details about their conditions were not yet known.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
In 2019, St. Louis recorded 194 homicides, up from 186 in 2018. The 2019 victims included 11 children, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 1 |
Abstract
Journalists have long covered outbreaks of infectious disease. In the history of global health journalism—from the 1721 Boston smallpox epidemic to the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak in China and Singapore and to recent outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—newsrooms have wielded their power both responsibly and irresponsibly. This article examines journalism practice during the 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic and recommends strategies for improving epidemic reporting.
Going Viral
Outbreaks of infectious disease are not only public health crises but also crises of information. Journalists have at times both built and undermined public trust, serving as both a constructive source of scientific facts and as a destructive source of rumor that tends to amplify panic. The stakes are now higher than ever before: epidemics now spread not only physically but also digitally, in print, posts, and videos that “go viral.”1 These media can influence health-seeking behaviors and feed hearsay that can spread as fast as a pathogen. Although there have been many cases of responsible and helpful journalistic coverage of Ebola crises during the last 6 years, some international, national, and local media have hindered humanitarian and clinical response efforts with sensationalist reporting,2 eroding trust among clinicians, journalists, and the public, and contributing to the institutional climate of fear that influences community-level avoidance of treatment and attacks on health workers.3 Given the potentially harmful effects of poor epidemic reporting, journalism has a responsibility to contribute to enhanced public knowledge during times of pervasive fear. This article suggests the need for clear professional guidelines informed by both journalistic and health care ethics and educational resources for reporters who cover epidemics.
Poor Reporting of 2013-2016 Ebola Outbreak
When Ebola reached Liberia in 2014, few Liberian journalists with knowledge of health or science reporting were actively reporting in the country.4 In the absence of up-to-date medical knowledge, local reporters were susceptible to rumors circulating in social media and on the streets, and local editors relied on decades-old information from outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some local editors generated or validated conspiracy theories that the outbreak was manufactured to raise money.5 Daniel Nyakonah, then-Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia, related that reporting had become far-fetched and that journalists were embroiled in a “coverage of chaos” (oral communication), by which he seemed to suggest that some Liberian reporters were producing sensationalist, contradictory, or poorly researched news articles. Later, Nyakonah would learn that “you cannot guess on science and health reporting as a journalist” (oral communication). Although local journalists lacked scientific knowledge, they were well placed to tap into cultural context and reach local audiences.
Meanwhile, international journalists were flown into the epicenter of the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak without adequate training or contextual knowledge. Like their local counterparts, some foreign correspondents were not experienced in Ebola reporting; debates emerged, for example, about whether journalists should wear gloves and gumboots,6 which can be risky for those not trained in donning and doffing personal protective equipment. News organizations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation, used stringent risk assessment measures.7 Moreover, coverage of the outbreak was limited. Some international reporters failed to include perspectives of local populations in their reports because they interviewed only non-African, and disproportionately white American, responders.8 Worse, some mainstream US news outlets neglected to cover the outbreak at all, even as case numbers exploded into the thousands. Instead, they ran sensationalist headlines that stigmatized immigrants from unaffected African countries.9
Good Journalism Practice During an Epidemic
Given the harms just outlined, we recommend the following strategies for improving epidemic reporting.
Local journalists in affected regions are best placed, but lack critical resources, and are often treated as subordinates by their international counterparts.
Designate an online resource library for best journalism practices during epidemics. This online library might include scientific sources for myth debunking, recommendations for reporting in affected communities, guidelines for preventing spread of stigma, resources for limiting and addressing secondary trauma, training lectures and seminars, and a glossary of relevant scientific and medical terminology. Ideally, an online resource library should be accessible anywhere in the world, regardless of internet speed, and would guide good journalism practices that avoid sensationalism and are free of bias.
Enhance channels of communication between responders and reporters. Ministries of health and international partners should consider how local media might respond to training exercises. For example, in the wake of the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, a consortium of international nongovernmental organizations staged an Ebola simulation to test response capacity of a county health team and other responders. Within hours, information was leaked to the press, who believed the exercise was not a simulation, but real; news reports sparked public panic.10 An Ebola training exercise in Sierra Leone in 2019 also reached local journalists and social media, with similar consequences.11 And, as far back as the 1995 Ebola outbreak in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), “fistfights broke out between scientists and persons in the media. Patient confidentiality was violated. Funerals were invaded by hordes of camera crews…. Some of the media did truly misbehave themselves, as did some of the scientists,”12 writes the Pulitzer Prize-winning health journalist Laurie Garrett. These incidents could likely have been avoided with clearer communication.
Engage journalists and responders in trust-building exercises. To restore trust, channels of communication between global public health and journalism sectors, such as those established and maintained by Internews Network13 and BBC Media Action,14 must become more widespread. Health ministries and response organizations can launch these efforts. In the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local journalists have registered with designated Ministry of Health-led press associations to gain access to interviewees, while responders use the network to gain access to media when needed. Such networks should also be used to educate responders about journalism ethics and journalists about clinical terminology and health care ethics. Just as clinicians are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of patients’ information, so journalists are obliged to protect their sources from harm or stigma and to engage in unbiased reporting.
Make money and equipment available to journalists covering epidemics. About 80% of US newspapers cut their science content between 1989 and 2012, according to the Columbia Journalism Review.15 With plummeting budgets for travel, even the best science reporters are often economically prohibited from covering epidemics. Local journalists already based in an affected country are best placed to fill this gap, but they too lack critical resources (eg, adequate pay and equipment) and are often treated as subordinates by their international counterparts.
View local journalists as colleagues. When international editors commission local journalists to report or photograph, they should offer rates of pay equal to those of international reporters. Local journalists are often better positioned than those at desks in foreign newsrooms to pitch and lead a story, given their deeper understanding of on-the-ground dynamics. Community radio reporters are also underutilized resources for response organizations trying to understand context; during an epidemic, radio can serve as a vital channel for local experts to debunk rumors and share scientific information. Local radio reporters have likely already earned community members’ trust, so they can help responders disseminate important information and motivate good health journalism. “Health journalism in Liberia is more than information or entertainment, but a kind of prophylaxis for our listeners” (oral communication), said Foday Sesay, a Liberian community radio journalist who has covered Ebola crises. Partnering with local media motivates goodwill by building inclusion, helping prevent spread of rumors, and establishing local journalists as key links in information chains. During the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, for example, BBC Media Action partnered with local media to produce a weekly radio discussion program in Sierra Leone.16 Internews Network also worked with community radio reporters in Liberia to debunk rumors live on air.17
Help responders and clinicians understand that good journalists strive to be allies in navigating an outbreak. Despite past incidents of irresponsible reporting,2 most journalists covering outbreaks care as deeply about their work and serving communities as infectious disease clinicians, and they work at personal risk and for little financial gain. The characteristics of an ethical, rigorous journalist are not unlike those of a good clinician: truthfulness, integrity, intellectual curiosity, communication skills, and empathy. As Garrett writes, “it is unfair to characterize journalists’ behaviors in such crises as those of award-hungry, prestige-starved monsters. In general, they are no more likely to be so motivated than are the occasional scientists I have met who think of nothing but winning a Nobel Prize.”12
Conclusion
Responsibility for establishing and maintaining journalism’s good public image belongs to journalists, who must not take lightly the power they wield during a public health crisis. Nyakonah says that following training and extensive reporting experience, he and members of the Liberian Journalists’ Union are now more confident about telling stories from science-based perspectives and, in so doing, “using our journalism to contribute meaningfully to the survival of the state” (oral communication). | Abstract
During the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, people were required by law to call a trained “safe burial” team to dispose of the body of a person who had died from Ebola. It took days for a team to arrive, however, due to limited resources and rural travel obstacles, so some villagers felt obliged to bury their loved ones themselves. Even with timely arrival of a team, there can be cultural priorities that deserve attention. One man’s case discussed in this article suggests the need for Ebola responders to consider villagers’ perspectives and possibilities for compromise.
Case
Dr R is a physician working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tasked with creating a quarantine policy for the bodies of Ebola victims, given high transmission rates from bodily fluid exposures. He receives reports of a confirmed Ebola death in a nearby village. Upon arriving with the Ebola response team, he is met by the wife and brothers of the deceased man. They refuse to allow the man’s body to be removed according to safety protocol. They explain that his body cannot be buried without first undergoing a religious cleaning by the family and a religious leader. Dr R explains that touching the body is dangerous and can easily lead to others contracting Ebola. The man’s family insists that he should not be buried without the religious ritual. How should Dr R reconcile the cultural importance of honoring local burial rituals with his obligation to prevent the spread of Ebola?
Commentary
The anthropologist Mary Douglas devoted her career to explaining that moral arguments derive from social context,1 and because social life is complex and open-ended, there will always be conflict between competing values. It was a basic concern of anthropology, she argued, to understand how human groups accommodate conflicting ethical demands.2 This article applies Douglas’ insight to safe burial protocol implementation during the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone and is based on our experience living and working there.
Mutual Care Conflicts With Containment
In rural communities at the edge of a tropical forest region in Upper West Africa, villages are small and can be interconnected by marriage ties, so the welfare of family members linked by marriage is prioritized as an ethical value among members of these communities. Mutual support sustains their way of life, and visiting those who are ill, dying, or deceased reinforces social solidarity. Ebola virus disease (EVD) challenges the moral basis of local social life in such communities, since infection can spread when one cares for the sick and prepares bodies for funerals. In other words, infection containment requires that one refrain from caring for the sick in moments of patients’ extreme need and from preparing corpses for dignified burial. Infection containment thus presents many people with a conflict between 2 social obligations: to care for others as an expression of local interfamily solidarity and to preserve the community by helping control the spread of disease.
Families were prevented from washing and dressing corpses and had to wait, sometimes for days, for a trained burial team to arrive.
National and international Ebola responders stressed infection control, key to which is early isolation of patients with EVD. But early EVD symptoms can look like malaria, also widespread in the region, and thus can be hard to accurately diagnose early. Later onset symptoms of EVD (vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding, for example) are optimally managed in specialized care facilities—typically far from where patients live, especially if rehydration therapy is applied—to improve patients’ chances of survival. An instinct of many patients’ family members was to follow the patient to a care facility and offer support by preparing food and touching or talking to the patient, for example. But when a patient with EVD was brought by ambulance to a distant treatment center, personal care was compromised, if not impossible. Furthermore, when a transported patient receiving specialized care died, it was rarely possible for family members to be notified in time to take part in that person’s burial.
How Ethnography Informed Compromise
Sierra Leone was one of the worst-affected countries in the 2014-2015 West African Ebola epidemic.3 Responders deployed modern media resources to impart (Western, allopathic) messages about biosafety that implied that “traditional” approaches to caring for EVD patients and burying deceased patients were backward or barbaric. Such messaging was backed by the Sierra Leone government, which threatened fines and imprisonment and insisted upon family members’ exclusion from all burials throughout the country, even though few deaths at that time were due to EVD. Families were prevented from washing and dressing corpses and had to wait, sometimes for days, for a trained burial team to arrive. Out of fear or nervousness, some teams heaved corpses quickly into graves with poles. Mourners were held at a distance or forbidden from witnessing burials at all. Outraged, some people resisted on having loved ones with EVD infections transported to care centers and began hiding and burying bodies of deceased patients.
One young man in a village in eastern Sierra Leone, who had attended his mother as she died of EVD, viewed it as simply unforgiveable not to clean and dress her body. She had given him life, and he saw himself as obliged to stand by her in death. So he performed the ritual alone and quietly buried her; he informed no one and accepted that he would probably become infected with EVD and die. To protect others from his probable infection and to avoid incarceration in an Ebola treatment facility, he left his village, planning to hide in the bush until EVD symptoms emerged; if they did, he would die alone. After experiencing no symptoms, he reported to a health center for an EVD blood test. His test was negative. Although this man’s story is obviously clinically important, from an anthropological perspective, it suggests the importance of compromise between needs of responders to contain disease and needs of local people to perform burial rituals of cultural significance.
Anthropological Foundations of Improved Ebola Care
Possibilities for compromise emerged when anthropologists helped gain a wider hearing for local people’s stories and ethical perspectives.4 One result of anthropologists’ publicizing of stories involving ethical dilemmas was to shift responders’ views about burials. As a result, Sierra Leone’s national protocol on safe burial was amended to “safe and dignified” burial.5 Pastors and imams were engaged to officiate at the graveside, and families were allowed to attend. Another result of anthropologists’ roles in the 2014-2015 epidemic was that EVD treatment became localized. That is, large and distant Ebola treatment centers were supplemented by smaller, local community care centers (CCCs)6 where all diseases were treated. This change encouraged earlier reporting of EVD symptoms and testing. Moreover, many CCC staff were recruited from local communities and thus were known to patients. This familiarity enhanced trust, eased family access to patients, enabled better reporting about patients’ progress, and facilitated provision of home-prepared food for patients. Even when family members couldn’t enter the “red zone” to be at a patient’s side, they could see the patient and talk through open sides of the tents. Family presence helped some patients survive. Even when the CCC reported deaths by phone, loved ones were on hand and able to gather for burial.
Although CCCs improved family access to patients, responders began to recognize that not all communities had working phones from which to call for an ambulance or roads that an ambulance could even traverse. As a solution, poster-based information, reinforced by radio broadcasts, helped family members learn what to do for a patient while waiting for an ambulance.5 Family members continued to care for patients while also protecting themselves with plastic bags and coats worn backwards. They also attempted to mitigate risk of contracting EVD by having one person care for the patient while others supported the carer.3,7
Contextualizing “Biosafety”
Allowing more family involvement in caregiving changed public attitudes towards the epidemic response effort significantly. Communities took ownership of local care facilities and EVD itself. Caregiving and burial preparation were never regarded as “safe,” so recruiting and training local burial teams remained as important as allowing family members to assume active roles in burial. One lesson is that competing cultural and public health values need to be balanced. Shouting down pleas to perform culturally important death and burial practices in the name of biosafety was not helpful. The 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa demonstrated the necessity of compromise between conflicting values and the role of anthropology in implementing compromise. | 2.666667 |
As of Jan. 1, 2020, the legal age to buy or possess cannabis in Quebec is 21, giving the province the highest minimum age for cannabis use in Canada.
Elsewhere in Canada, cannabis is permitted at age 19, except in Alberta, where the legal age is 18.
The Quebec law, passed by the Coalition Avenir Québec government on Nov. 1, also means people under 21 aren't allowed on the premises of any Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) outlet.
The government rules state that people under 21 will be prohibited from possessing cannabis, even if they bought it legally before the new year.
It amounts to a "total prohibition for minors to possess cannabis" — compared with federal rules that prohibit a minor from possessing the equivalent of more than five grams of dried cannabis.
People under 21 found in possession of cannabis or caught purchasing cannabis can be fined up to $100.
The legislation also includes greater restrictions on the public consumption of cannabis, though municipalities will have leeway to determine their own rules.
The rules say that "a local municipality may, by regulation and under certain conditions, permit the smoking of cannabis in a municipal park, except in those areas of the park where it is already prohibited to smoke or vape tobacco."
What about edibles?
As of January, some edible products will be hitting the shelves at the SQDC, but they will have to follow tight regulations.
The Quebec government has banned chocolates, sweets, candies and desserts containing cannabis that could be considered attractive to people under 21.
Despite their being legal in other provinces, Quebec has banned cannabis edibles that come in the form of sweets, candies or chocolate. (Shutterstock/Victor Moussa)
While edible products became legal across the country in December, Quebec delayed its rollout until January to give producers more time to make sure their products conform to all the province's rules.
The first products to hit the shelves in Quebec will be liquids such as sparkling water, tea and non-alcoholic beer infused with cannabis.
Next up will be edible products like granola bars and muffins.
According to the province's restrictions, cannabis edibles cannot contain nicotine, caffeine or alcohol and must come in plain, childproof packaging. | We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as as they happen!
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PATNA: Bihar will not be represented in the Republic Day parade at Janpath in New Delhi on January 26. Officials at Bihar Information Centre in Delhi said though the Centre appreciated the state government’s theme of Jal-Jivan-Hariyali Mission proposed for its tableau, but refused to showcase it in the Republic Day parade because “it does not fulfil the criteria for that”. Bihar was not included in the R-Day parade in 2019 as well.“As the state government is working on the ambitious JJH Mission, which is one of a kind initiative to tackle climate change and water conservation, it was proposed as our theme for Bihar’s tableau in national R-Day parade. We had submitted a proposal in this regard to the defence ministry in September. But the ministry later claimed that as per the set criteria for Republic Day parade, state governments cannot make their tableaux on such a theme,” a senior official at Bihar Information Centre said.Sources said the selection committee under the defence ministry has set stringent criteria for selecting tableaux for R-Day parade. According to sources, the entries sent by states have to pass three rounds of scrutiny by the selection committee. The broad parameters for evaluating the themes proposed by the states include international branding, national integration and aesthetic value.“Even though the selection committee appreciated our theme and the state government’s endeavours under the JJH Mission, it turned down our proposal for showcasing the same in the R-Day parade,” he said and added that Bihar government had proposed prohibition as the theme for its tableau in 2019 but it was also rejected for similar reasons.Officials said the last time Bihar featured in the R-Day parade in Delhi was in 2015 when its tableau was based on the celebrations of 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s Champaran Satyagraha. Prior to that, the theme for Bihar’s tableau in 2013 was ‘Mithila ka Sikki art’. Sikki is a traditional folk craft of Mithila region. In 2012, the theme for Bihar’s tableau was ‘Dharhara Ki Beti’. Dharhara is a village in Bhagalpur district. It is famous for its tradition of planting of trees by families on the birth of a girl child. | When we think back on the defining beauty moments of the decade, nails are front and center. Hear us out: The most popular nail colors and trends often reflect their respective times. In an era where nail art props abound and the engagement manicure has become a very real (and specific) kind of pressure, it makes sense to take a closer look at the bottles we're gravitating toward for the perfect Instagram shot. The past 10 years have brought us elaborate spins on nostalgic trends—like squishy jelly nails and the immortal French manicure. But in the interest of distilling these moments down to their most basic forms, we're focusing on the standalone shades that made their mark.
So what exactly gives a nail polish notoriety? Sometimes, a well-timed celebrity associations raises particular shades to new heights. Other launches start trends of their own. "I know all I wore in 2012 was Essie Mint Candy Apple," reminisced one Glamour editor while we were brainstorming this story. (She was later vindicated by our research; the data shows that Mint Candy Apple was a 2013 top seller.) We talked to three of the top nail polish brands to discover the most popular shades year-to-year from 2009 to 2019. Scroll through for a detailed look at the 11 bestselling shades of the decade—and what made them so iconic. | 1 |
Washington, DC - It was another turbulent year for US President Donald Trump.
From the conclusion of the FBI investigation into allegations his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to his impeachment, Trump may have spent as much time defending his presidency and actions as he did governing in 2019.
But there were also many decisions his administration made that did not get as much attention.
Here are the top 10 things the Trump administration did that you may have missed:
1. Top adviser with white nationalist ties?
Stephen Miller, a top adviser to Trump, has been a driving force behind Trump's immigration policies. A former Senate aide, Miller joined Trump's campaign early in the primary season and has helped shape much of the administration's domestic policies.
Miller is considered one of the architects of Trump's so-called Muslim ban which prohibits the entry into the US of citizens from five Muslim-majority countries, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, and restricts a small number of North Koreans and Venezuelans from coming into the country. He was also one of the main proponents of the US's practice of separating undocumented migrant children from their parents at the US southern border.
But Miller has also been accused of having ties to white nationalist organisations. According to a November investigative report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a US-based watchdog group, prior to taking the White House job, Miller regularly sent reporters links to white supremacist groups as "research" to back his arguments on immigration. This included a number of emails sent to right-wing website Breitbart. A White House official defended Miller, saying he "hates bigotry in all forms" despite calls from members of Congress to fire him.
White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller during a meeting in the cabinet room of the White House in Washington, DC [File: Tom Brenner/Reuters]
The SPLC report came a few months after an underreported incident when the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent out an email to employees with a link to a white nationalist organisation. A DOJ official said the email was a mistake.
"The daily EOIR [Executive Office for Immigration Review] morning news briefings are compiled by a contractor and the blog post should not have been included," the official said.
2. Nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia
As the US persistently shakes its finger at Iran and North Korea for attempting to develop a nuclear weapons programme, it quietly okayed the sale of nuclear technology and expertise to Saudi Arabia, which plans to build at least two nuclear power plants. In March, reports revealed that the US had secretly approved six authorisations for companies to sell nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia.
But as tensions simmer between the Saudi kingdom and its regional rival Iran, there is widespread concern that sharing nuclear technology with Riyadh could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Concerns were compounded after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said in a 2018 interview that he would develop nuclear arms if Iran did.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attending the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia [File: Bandar Algaloud/Handout via Reuters]
Trump, meanwhile, has been exercising a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran after he withdrew the US from a 2015 nuclear pact that curbed Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
Read more here.
3.Trump replaces Obama-era climate change plan
Trump ran on a campaign promise to overturn environmental restrictions on major industries put in place by his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump has been particularly vocal in his protection of the coal industry, public enemy number one for many environmentalists when it comes to fighting climate change.
In June, the Trump administration officially ended the Clean Power Plan (CPP). Put in place by the Obama administration in 2015, CPP aimed to slash power plant carbon emissions by more than a third by 2030 by pushing utilities to drop coal in favour of cleaner fuels like natural gas, solar and wind power.
The Trump administration argued it was an example of overregulation, restricting American companies' ability to compete globally. It replaced CPP with the Affordable Clean Energy rule which does not curb rising carbon emissions from power plants and prolongs the operation of coal plants.
Twenty-two states are now suing the federal government, arguing it prolongs US reliance on coal power and obstructs states that pursue cleaner electricity generation.
"The coal lobbyists and climate deniers running the Trump administration wrote every word of this illegal and dangerous rule," argued Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, one of the state officials leading the lawsuit.
In November, the Environmental Protection Agency took Trump's plan one step further by announcing it wants to roll back regulations on waste from coal plants, sparking fears that small communities around the US would be more vulnerable to adverse health effects.
Read more here.
4. IG says State Department targeted employee over ethnic background
The State Department's inspector general issued a report in November that found an employee of the department was improperly removed from her post by officials over her ethnic background, perceived political views and prior role in the Obama administration.
Sahar Nowrouzzadeh is a State Department security specialist who was born in Connecticut but whose parents immigrated from Iran. The report found that employees in the administration had circulated conservative news articles with false claims that she was born in Iran and was a "Muslim spy". Nowrouzzadeh was demoted by the department under the guidance of US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, who denied the decision was based on her background. But the IG drew a different conclusion and recommended discipline for a number of high-ranking state department officials.
The report is the second by the IG on the topic of political retaliation. An earlier report in August found that two Trump-appointed officials had routinely disparaged career employees for their perceived political opinions and work for the previous administration.
5. Trump slashes US refugee cap
Trump has made slashing immigration a central focus of his presidency and re-election campaign. The number of refugees admitted into the US has hit historic lows since he took office. In the 2019 fiscal year, 30,000 refugees were admitted in the country, a record low. And the State Department announced in September that it will cap the number of refugees allowed in the country in 2020 at 18,000, the lowest number since the resettlement programme was created in 1980.
The Trump administration also granted states and counties the right to block any refugee resettlements within their jurisdiction.
Officials said there are too many cases for courts and agents to handle. "The overwhelming backlog is completely unsustainable and needs to be addressed before we accept large numbers of refugees," a White House statement said.
Read more here.
6. Middle East peace summit in Bahrain
Trump's plan to negotiate a peace deal between Palestinians and Israelis has stalled repeatedly since he took office. In February, 2017, Trump stood with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and promised, "We'll be working on it very, very diligently."
He put his son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, on the case. Since then, Kushner has travelled to the region multiple times.
The Trump administration has unveiled a $50bn economic plan to end the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. In June, Kushner opened a two-day conference in Bahrain to rally support for the plan, which expects donor nations and investors to contribute funds towards projects in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon.
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner speaking at the Peace to Prosperity conference in Manama, Bahrain [File: Handout via Reuters]
Palestinian leaders rejected the plan and boycotted the conference, accusing it of pro-Israel bias after it shut down its consulate in Jerusalem and ordered the Palestinian mission in Washington, DC, to close. Earlier in 2019, the US cut all aid to the Palestinian territories.
Critics say Kushner's attempt to decide economic priorities first while initially sidestepping politics ignores the realities of the conflict.
The political portion of the peace plan has not been released.
Read more here.
7. Pushing South Korea to China
The US has held troops in South Korea since the ceasefire between North and South Korea in 1953. In 1991, Washington and Seoul signed the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which lays out how the two countries cover the costs associated with protecting the Korean Peninsula.
The SMA was scheduled to expire at the end of 2019 and Trump reportedly took the opportunity to increase the price tag. In August 2019, Trump tweeted that South Korea was not paying its fair share. In November, talks between the two countries over burden-sharing broke down after the US reportedly asked for five times the amount from Seoul to keep American troops there. That same week, South Korea signed an agreement with China for more military cooperation, pushing a close US ally towards a US adversary.
8. Conflict-of-interest woes
Trump, a former businessman, often compares the running of government to running a business. But he has repeatedly come under fire for using his position as president to promote his businesses, many of which bear his name on them.
In September, the US Air Force came under scrutiny after it was revealed that crews had been staying at Trump's Scottish resort in Turnberry during stopovers, ignoring cheaper options. A Pentagon investigation concluded the stays were within guidelines.
In October, another report surfaced he was pushing to have the G7 summit at his golf resort in Doral, Florida. Trump cancelled the plan after significant backlash, but was puzzled over why it was such a big deal. "I was willing to do this for free," Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting.
He used the meeting to rail against what he calls, "this phony emoluments clause", an article in the US constitution that forbids the president from accepting gifts or "emoluments" from foreign leaders while in office.
In July, a federal appeals court threw out an emoluments case against him that argued profits from his Washington hotel were a violation of the clause.
9. Trump signs Hong Kong legislation
The Thanksgiving holiday in the US is a good time for presidential administrations to bury news. In November, Trump used the holiday to sign the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The legislation, passed by Congress, followed months of mass pro-democracy protests that rattled the Chinese government. The legislation threatens to bar entry of individuals who "violate internationally recognised human rights".
Hong Kong protesters prepare to march towards foreign consulates in Hong Kong, China [File: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters]
But the legislation also put Trump in a political bind. It came as the US and China held talks on a possible trade deal. Beijing said it "seriously interfered with Hong Kong affairs, seriously interfered with China's internal affairs, and seriously violated international law and basic norms of international relations". Trump said he supported the pro-democracy protesters, but China was "a friend".
The legislation also passed with veto-proof majorities in both houses of Congress.
10. Debt and deficit grow
As a businessman-candidate for the White House in 2016, Trump promised to use his experience to get rid of the national debt "within eight years" if elected.
But as president, the US national debt has soared.
In January 2017, when Trump took office, the debt hovered around $19 trillion. As of December 2019, that total is just over $23 trillion, a 21 percent increase. The federal deficit continues to grow with massive spending on the US military causing a large portion of it.
In 2019, the deficit was its biggest in seven years with an even bigger one projected in 2020. Trump promised a 2017 tax cut would help pay down the debt and deficit as the economy improved. | Look ahead: Twenty things to watch out for in 2020
Twenty things to track at the start of the next decade in the Middle East and wider world.
1
The global spotlight will fall on Saudi Arabia in 2020 as it assumes the presidency of the G20 ahead of the leaders’ summit in Riyadh starting on Nov. 20. Under the theme “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All,” the Saudi presidency will focus on three aims: Empowering people by creating the conditions in which everyone — especially women and young people — can live, work and thrive; safeguarding the planet by fostering collective efforts on food and water security, climate, energy and the environment; and long-term strategies to share the benefits of innovation and technological advancement.
2
On Feb. 29, an elite field of runners and riders will assemble at King Abdul Aziz Racetrack in Riyadh for the Saudi Cup which, with a purse of $20 million, is the world’s most valuable horse race. Hailed by Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al-Faisal, chair of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, as “without doubt the most significant event in the history of horse racing in Saudi Arabia,” the contest is the spectacular opening move in the Kingdom’s bid to position itself as a leading player on the sport’s global stage. The cup also marks another first in the Kingdom’s race toward modernization — it is open to both male and female jockeys.
3
Could 2020 be the year that peace finally returns to Syria — or, in the wake of the US withdrawal and the surge into northern Syria by the Turks and Assad regime, will the territorial ambitions of Moscow and Ankara condemn the country’s civilians to another year of despair? The signs are not good. The latest round of peace talks, held in Geneva in November, faltered after government and opposition negotiators failed even to agree an agenda for plans to draft a new constitution. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call for one million Syrian refugees in Turkey to be returned to the north of Syria could further destabilize a volatile situation.
4
On March 17, Saudi Arabia will begin conducting the fifth general census in the nation’s history, designed to gather information about its population — vital for government planning in areas including education, health, employment, housing and deverlopment. The first census, in 1974, recorded a population of just over 7 million. By the time of the fourth and most recent census, in 2010, the population had grown to more than 27 million.
5
On Oct. 20, Dubai will formally come of age when millions of visitors begin flocking to the Gulf’s most dynamic city for Expo 2020, the first to be held in the Arab world and without doubt the number-one highlight of the year for the UAE and wider region. Featuring live shows, mass-participation events, more than 200 opportunities to experience global cuisine and 190 countries showcasing the best they have to offer in a breathtaking range of pavilions, this six-month celebration of the best of human ingenuity, art and culture will cement Dubai’s reputation for innovation and doubtless boost its role as a global destination.
6
From March 12 to 21, Jeddah Old Town will host the inaugural Red Sea Film Festival, a nine-day international celebration that promises to showcase “the world’s best films, educational workshops, informative industry master classes, immersive art experiences, experimental projects and other cinematic events.” The festival will feature a retrospective honoring the pioneering Egyptian film director, Khairy Beshara, who will attend public screenings of nine of his films, remastered and restored by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation.
7
Will 2020 be the year that superfast fifth-generation 5G mobile Internet access changes your life? STC and Zain have already launched 5G services — which promise faster upload and download speeds — in Saudi Arabia, as have Etisalat and du in the UAE and Batelco in Bahrain. But 2020 is predicted to be the year that the prices of handsets, infrastructure and data will fall dramatically, not only bringing the benefits of superfast connectivity to phone users everywhere, but also facilitating and speeding the adoption of information-hungry autonomous vehicles.
8
If you need an excuse to upgrade your mobile connectivity to 5G, look ahead to July 25, when athletes from the region and the world will converge on Japan for the Tokyo Olympics. The six GCC nations will be hoping to improve on the tally of one gold, two silver and one bronze medals that they brought back from Rio in 2016. If you want to make sure you don’t miss them in action, keep a careful eye on the competition schedule at tokyo2020.org and be prepared for some early starts — some events are scheduled for 9 a.m. local time, 4 a.m. in the UAE.
9
Futurists predict that 2020 will be the year that artificial intelligence (AI) jumps the barrier from behind-the-scenes data manipulation to mainstream applications, revolutionizing media, entertainment, transport and more — but also potentially threatening millions of jobs as roles for which human beings were once essential go the way of automation.
10
Virgin Hyperloop One, the company behind the long-awaited rapid-transit system that the company claims will one day shrink the journey time from Dubai to Abu Dhabi to just 12 minutes, says it plans to break ground in 2020 on a Center of Excellence in King Abdullah Economic City that could propel Saudi Arabia to the forefront of hyperloop development worldwide. There are plans to build the world’s first full-speed test track and a manufacturing plant, creating 124,000 high-tech jobs for the Kingdom, from which hyperloop parts would be exported to other markets. Actual travel by hyperloop, however, remains some way off — perhaps by 2029, says Virgin.
11
A dramatic opening ceremony and spectacular celebrations are planned for the long-delayed opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, a hugely ambitious project on which work began in 2002 and which is finally scheduled to open its doors to the public at a yet-to-be-decided date in 2020. Barely 2 kilometers from the pyramids of Giza, this will be the world’s largest archaeological museum. Bringing all the treasures of ancient Egypt under one roof as “a gift from Egypt to the whole world,” it is a bold attempt to put the country back on the world tourism trail and reinvigorate an economy damaged by years of political instability and terrorist violence.
12
With Boris Johnson and the Conservative party back in power with a much improved majority, the UK is now certain to leave the EU on Jan. 31. The immediate ramifications of Brexit for overseas visitors and foreigners living in the UK remain unclear. What is clear, however, is that with Britain now not only free but also desperate to sign new trade agreements around the world in double-quick time, canny trading partners everywhere will be looking to exploit the London’s isolation from the powerful European trading bloc.
13
In July, Nasa’s Mars 2020 mission blasts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, opening a new chapter in the race to colonize the red planet. It will take the Mars 2020 Rover about seven months to make the journey to the Jezero Crater, where it will spend more than 680 Earth days (one Mars year) collecting samples and other intelligence vital for future human expeditions to the red planet. Rover will not be alone. Orbiting above will be the UAE’s Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe, designed to answer key questions about the Martian atmosphere with future colonization in mind.
14
Teams from Oman, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan will be in Australia for the 2020 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup, to be held in seven locations across the country from Perth to Brisbane. Regional teams are expected to do well — three of the six championships held since the World Cup was inaugurated in 2007 have been won by India (2007), Pakistan (2009) and Sri Lanka (2014).
15
It is 40 years since the world managed to eradicate the curse of smallpox but in the past four decades every other disease targeted for elimination by the World Health Organization (WHO) has proved stubbornly resilient. That could all change in 2020, the deadline set by WHO and its supporting agencies for the eradication of polio, a crippling disease that remains endemic in just three countries — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
16
COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland next November, has been described as “the meeting to save human civilization.” This is the climate-change summit at which nations will be expected to follow the commitments they made in Paris five years ago — already exposed as insufficient to prevent the target of 2 degrees of warming — with realistic, actionable plans. Inspiration to act may come from the 52nd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Paris in February, at which scientists will release their revised assessments of the globe’s environmental state.
17
The last three months of 2019 in Iraq were marred by increasingly bitter and deadly protests triggered by frustration with corruption, poor public services and Iranian influence, leaving 500 protesters dead and tens of thousands wounded, according to the UN. With warnings that the violence “risks placing Iraq on a dangerous trajectory” and no replacement in sight yet for Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, will 2020 see the crisis deepen — or protesters’ calls for political overhaul met?
18
Out of the news cycle for now, the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and North Africa continues. Across the region, says UNICEF, more than 70 million vulnerable people, including 32 million children, desperately need help, with harsh winters in store. To provide it, the UN is appealing to donor nations to pledge $10.4 million in 2020.
19
From Jan. 16 to Feb. 1, the UAE emirate of Sharjah will play host to the first international spin-off of Edinburgh’s famous Fringe Festival to be held in the Middle East. Expect 17 days of theater, dance, circus and music featuring artists from around the world.
20
Few countries in the world will be unaffected by the outcome of the US presidential election on Nov. 3. President Trump is likely to survive impeachment proceedings brought by the Democrats — his trial in January will be held in the Republican-controlled senate, and the prosecution is unlikely to win the two thirds necessary to remove him from office. That could mean a second term and continuation of uncertainty over global trade wars, Trump’s on-off relationship with North Korea and, if the US continues its retreat from the world stage, big questions about what will happen when Russia and China fill the vacuum across the MENA region. | 1 |
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A decade is ample time for big moments and things to change.
Over the past ten years, Cornwall has experienced some major events, especially when it comes to politics, weather and the opening of major developments and infrastructures.
As we come to the end of the 2010s, we look back at some of the big decisions and incidents which impacted our county in that timeframe.
And there's no better way to start than with a good old pasty.
The pasty becomes a protected food
The savoury treat became a protected food in 2011 following a long campaign to prevent it being copied by imitators.
The announcement meant only pasties prepared in Cornwall and following the traditional recipe can be described as Cornish after the European commission awarded the dish "protected geographical indication" (PGI) status.
Campaigners celebrated the decision, saying it was important for the local economy – thousands of jobs are involved in the pasty industry – as well as for consumers.
While the status doesn't stop other producers from making other type of pasties, they can't sell them as 'Cornish'.
But with Brexit and the UK's looming exit from the EU, some now fear that Cornwall's favourite snack could lose its PGI status.
If that were to happen, anyone in Romania or Yorkshire could make pasties and call them Cornish.
Winter storms
In early 2014 several storms tore their way across Cornwall – washing away buildings, flooding homes and toppling cliffs.
The relentless wind, rain and waves caused millions of pounds’ worth of damage to infrastructure and tested the resilience of coastal communities and flood defences to the limit.
Storm Hercules may be the name people remember but, in total, 12 major storms battered the region between December 2013 and March 2014, the wettest winter on record.
The towering waves caused extensive damage in several coastal communities in Cornwall, particularly in Fowey , Kingsand, Looe , Mevagissey , Porthleven , Penzance and St Ives .
Iconic rock formations were shattered, historic harbour buildings demolished, sea walls toppled and beach cafes devastated.
Vast swathes of sand and shingle were ripped out, shifted around and sucked out to sea.
More than 360 properties across Cornwall were flooded, while coastal protection assets in 145 locations were damaged.
The Cornwall economy was also affected by a huge reduction in rail passengers coming to Cornwall, due damage to the line at Dawlish in Devon.
Minority status
In April 2014, it was announced that Cornish people would be granted minority status under European rules for the protection of national minorities.
The Cornish gained the same status as other Celtic communities the Scots, Welsh and Irish.
The status means that government departments and public bodies are required to take Cornwall's views into account when making decisions.
It ensures that the rights of national minorities are respected by combating discrimination, promoting equality and preserving and developing the culture and identity of national minorities.
Dick Cole, leader of Mebyon Kernow, which campaigns for Cornish devolution, said at the time: "This is a fantastic development. This is a proud day for Cornwall."
Cornwall becomes all blue
In May 2015 General Election the Conservative Party won all six seats in Cornwall, wiping out Liberal Democrat representation in the county.
The Tories took St Ives, North Cornwall, and St Austell and Newquay from the Lib Dems.
The outcome transformed Cornwall's political landscape from a Lib Dem stronghold in the 2005 election.
It was the first time since the 1920s that all of Cornwall's MPs were Conservative.
Cornwall Coliseum is demolished
In April 2015, demolition work started to tear down Cornwall's most iconic music venue. Suitably named, the Cornwall Coliseum was a giant of a building and acted as a magnet for massive bands and solo acts beside the sea at Carlyon Bay.
The Coliseum’s main entertainment auditorium, with a standing capacity of 3,300, was opened nearly 40 years ago with a concert by The Who but there had been halls on the site for many years before that.
In its heyday the venue welcomed the likes of Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, The Jam, Cliff Richard and Simple Minds. But it fell into disrepair in the 1990s, marking an end to Cornwall's golden era for music.
During its final years, the Coliseum had already begun to decline, with buckets placed around the hall to collect the rain coming through the leaks in the roof. The final concert at the venue, by Cornwall Youth Brass Band, took place in 2000.
It was knocked down three years ago to make way for a multi-million pound beach development, but work is yet to begin.
Poldark effect
Winston Graham’s historical (and, often, hysterical) novels were big enough, but then came the BBC series in the mid-’70s, which made stars of the likes of Angharad Rees.
However, things got even more stellar with the 2015 reboot making international stars of Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson.
(Image: BBC/Mammoth Screen/Mike Hogan)
The popularity of the Poldark novels and TV series has been eagerly seized upon by the bodies that operate Cornish heritage sites, as well as many others involved in tourism in the county.
We might moan constantly about the appalling accents, but the ‘Poldark effect’ has seen a substantial increase in visitor numbers and revenue.
Primark opens
The clothing giant opened the doors to its first Cornwall store in Truro in November 2016.
There was mass excitement when it was first announced that the popular Irish clothing and accessories store was considering its first Cornish location back in 2013.
The shop has become famous for its cheap and cheerful clothing, stocking everything from party outfits to sportswear and lingerie to work wear.
For a long time Primark was one of several big brands which didn't exist in Cornwall, alongside the likes of H&M, Nando’s and John Lewis.
The store had a big knock on effect in Truro, helping to boost everything from sales at newsagents and jewellers to eateries and even the local butcher.
The Man Engine
The largest mechanical puppet ever built, the Man Engine was the sensation of 2016, not just in Cornwall where he strode like a mighty mining colossus, but also across the globe where it made gigantic headlines.
The Man Engine was created to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape being added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.
To celebrate this, the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site Partnership commissioned an exciting summer-long set of inspirational events and experiential happenings entitled Tinth.
The most spectacular event was the two week awe-inspiring journey of the Man Engine - a monumental moving, steaming ‘beast’, the likes of which has never been seen before - which made its way from Tavistock to the far western tip of Cornwall between July 25 and August 6, 2016.
People came out in their thousands to see him travel the county spreading the word of Cornwall’s mining heritage.
Jaws dropped and spirits were raised as Cornwall’s celebrated engineering tradition was reborn for a new generation.
A30 dualling at Temple
The A30 is one of the oldest roads in Britain and, for many years, subject of jokes about being one of its biggest car parks because traffic ground to a frustrating halt so often.
Love it or loathe it, travel by car in Cornwall is practically impossible without taking into account the A30, which has evolved to be the transport spine of the entire county.
In September 2010, the green light was given to remove one of the last bottlenecks on the A30 at Temple on Bodmin Moor, after years of campaigning.
During its busiest time, the section of road carried about 40,000 vehicles a day, even though the recommended capacity for a single carriageway was 13,000.
Work on the £60 million project finally began in the summer of 2015 and was completed two years later in time for the summer holiday season, making travel in and out of Cornwall much more efficient and seemingly safer.
Coverack flood
It was July 2017 when a freak flash flood swept through the Cornish seaside village of Coverack.
The village on the Lizard peninsula became the centre of a huge rescue and recovery operation after it was engulfed in a terrifying torrent of water.
(Image: Peter Wood)
The drama unfolded on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, with a sudden thunderstorm in Falmouth Bay. As heavy rain began to fall, the villagers put their sandbags – little realising the onslaught which was to follow. At around 2.30pm, a huge bombardment of golf ball-sized hailstones began.
It has been reported that as much as an inch of rainfall came down in 15 minutes – rushing off the slopes behind the village and swelling to a tremendous size. Huge waterfalls cascaded over the seawall, houses were completely flooded and the roads were ripped apart by the force of the water.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured though many had to be rescued by the emergency services, and the village was left reeling from the incident. Around 350 tonnes of debris were removed from Coverack’s roads in the days following the flood. | Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from devonlive - Weekend Report Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
So, farewell, then, the decade with no name whose passing few will mourn, writes Martin Freeman.
We have endured ten years of austerity and vanishing insect life.
The British obsession with the weather became a nationwide concern with its increasingly frequent extremes and the cause of them: man-made global warming.
One particularly violent episode provided one of the images of the decade: the Westcountry main rail line washed away by a storm in February 2014 and hanging like a rope bridge at Dawlish.
We learned the phrase “the left-behind” and realised we were among them. The Midlands and the North was getting HS2 while we were still coping with average speeds that the Victorians would have recognised and weather-resilience that their engineers would have been appalled by.
We embraced the smartphone that was a novelty in 2010 and is an essential for most of us in 2020. But in many parts of the Westcountry we couldn’t use them because of reception “not spots”.
Parts of the South West have some of the fastest broadband speeds in the UK, but many in rural areas, hampered by a snail’s-pace link, can only dream of enjoying what became the norm this decade, streaming of television services.
(Image: Publicity Picture)
Electric cars were a curiosity ten years ago, are commonplace now and will probably be driverless before the new decade is over. But too many South West roads are potholed, narrow and congested.
In 2010 few would ever have dreamed that the UK’s first horizontal launch spaceport would be in the Westcountry. Now we are told the first flights will began from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay next year , thanks to backing from Cornwall Council and the Government, confirmed last year.
A decade ago, a few miles along the coast, the focus was on one of Cornwall’s more traditional industries and the culture associated with it: Port Isaac-based sea-shanty singers Fisherman’s Friends won a £1-million record deal.
The same year saw the death of a famous Plymothian, former leader of the Labour Party and one of the country’s greatest radical idealists, Michael Foot.
His brand of socialism was dusted off and offered to a new generation as the decade ended, and was rejected as Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party was trounced by the Conservatives. Boris Johnson became the third Conservative Prime Minister of the decade having surpassed and outlived – in political terms – David Cameron, his former rival who came to power in the May 2010 general election.
Mr Cameron needed the support of the Liberal Democrats and their leader, Nick Clegg, to become PM as the two parties formed a coalition government, the first in 70 years.
Few political analysts doubted the partnership could be formed swiftly and even fewer thought that it would last. The team stayed together. sustained by the friendship between the two, until the Tories ruthlessly targeted the Lib Dems in the 2015 general election and the third party was wiped from the map in the South West.
Despite this being one of their strongholds for decades the Lib Dems have yet to recover in the two elections since.
Nobody used the word “Brexit” in 2010. By 2020 most are sick of it.
(Image: PA)
The European Union referendum of 2016 that Mr Cameron thought would remove the issue for a generation at least, instead extended the division throughout the nation, removed him from office, would go on to destroy the premiership of his successor, Theresa May, paralyse politics for four years and help propel Mr Johnson into No 10.
The South West voted to leave, but the split drove through communities and families in the region. Cornwall, the UK region that most benefited from EU aid, was solidly in favour of Brexit in the referendum.
The EU stamp on the duchy extended beyond bricks and mortar to include one of the lighter stories of the decade, Protected Geographical Indication.
Since 2011 to be called a Cornish pasty the favourite food must be made west of the Tamar and to a certain recipe. Bizarrely, the pasty was also the focus of one of the most memorable political U-turns of the decade: the Government’s “pasty tax” – a plan to include the food as the levy was extended to hot takeaway foods – was withdrawn after fierce lobbying against the 2012 Budget measure.
Sport was the big story of 2012, though: the Olympic flame arrived in Culdrose Cornwall, accompanied by sporting royalty (David Beckham) and real royalty (Princess Anne).
The torch was carried by runners through the South West on the way to London. The games brought double success to many South West athletes: Cornwall’s four-times gold medal winning sailor, Ben Ainslie, was knighted, while Devon horsewoman Mary King, Penzance teacher-turned rower Helen Glover and paralympic swimmer Jonathan Fox, from St Stephen near St Austell, were all made MBEs, in the New Year Honours.
Communication rather faster than that Olympic flame relay provided the story of 2013 which touched on some themes of the decade: privacy, surveillance and the ability of a whistle-blower to wreak havoc.
One of the revelations exposed by the US intelligence officer, Edward Snowden, was the use of GCHQ Bude to eavesdrop on internet traffic. We learned that the spy centre was part-funded by the US National Security Agency.
Another US-UK collaboration, the war in Afghanistan, came to an end in 2014, at last as far as full British involvement. The 13-year campaign cost the lives of 453 British servicemen, including 77 from the Westcountry or serving with units based in the South West region.
Two other wars were in mind through the decade, as anniversaries of the key dates in the First and Second World Wars were remembered.
Former servicemen from across the Westcountry made the journey across the Channel once again to commemorate 70 years since D-Day in June 2014.
Due to the ravages of age fewer were able to repeat the journey for the 75th anniversary this year. Communities that hosted US servicemen who trained in the region before heading to the Normandy landings also marked the dates.
The 100th anniversaries of the start and end of the First World War, in 2014 and 2018, were also marked. Among the most moving tributes was by Somerset artist Rob Heard’s Shrouds of the Somme project.
His 19,240 miniature shrouded figures were first laid out in Exeter in 2016 – 100 years after the start of the battle – and the project was extended to remember all 72,396 Allied soldiers killed on day one.
Exeter was the focus of national attention in October 2016 when a devastating fire destroyed key buildings on the Cathedral Green, the most prominent being England’s oldest Hotel, the Royal Clarence.
(Image: MARK PASSMORE)
Extremes of heat, and of the weather, generally, were never far from the news during the decade. The many, many highs included two this year alone: the warmest-ever winter day, 21.2C (70.2F) in Kew Gardens in London on February 26 and the hottest-ever day, 38.7C (101.7F), in Cambridge on July 25.
There was, well, a spate of floods. Pick almost any year or season for an example, say December 2010 in Cornwall or in the South West generally in any of the final four months of this year.
Visually the most striking was in February 2014 when the Somerset Levels hosted the largest lake in England, at 65sq km it was more than four times the size of the largest permanent inland body of water, Windermere.
Small wonder that climate change moved high up the political agenda. Climate emergencies were declared by councils across the Westcountry, and even one school (St Peter’s Church of England Primary in Budleigh Salterton in East Devon).
The issue was pushed there by a growing band of activists and protesters, including the Extinction Rebellion movement.
(Image: Penny Cross)
Prominent among them were young people, the most recognisable being the Swedish 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg, who became an honorary Plymothian when she headed to the city in August this year to hitch a ride across the Atlantic on a yacht to attend the United Nations climate change summit,
Her year-long devotion to the cause, putting her education on hold, rather went against the grain of a decade characterised by an obsession with the self and typified by the selfie on the ubiquitous smartphone, and the rise of me-first populist politics.
This was the decade when many felt like turning away from the world, pulling on a comforting all-in-one garment, and hiding from politics, austerity and the weather. So, farewell, then, the Onesies. | 2.666667 |
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HAVANA TIMES – You don’t have to be a professional photographer, just send a picture (in black and white or color), that you consider with quality to be published. Indicate where it was taken (city and country), type of camera or cell phone you used and a short description of it.
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WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — A man accused of shooting a police officer before leading officers from several agencies on a high-speed chase and getting shot himself was charged Wednesday with aggravated attempted murder, officials said.
Richard Murray-Burns, 29, of Harmony, was arrested upon his release from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was treated for gunshot wounds, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Murray-Burns was transported Wednesday to the Somerset County Jail and will likely make an initial court appearance on Thursday or Friday. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney.
Injured Waterville police officer Timothy Hinton was “recovering well” at home, Deputy Police Chief Bill Bonney told the Morning Sentinel.
Hinton, who was responding to a report of a shoplifter at Walmart, was shot in both arms on Dec. 22 in his cruiser after he stopped a vehicle on Main Street, police said.
Murray-Burns, 29, of Harmony, proceeded to lead police on a chase through several towns before he was shot multiple times by officers from several law enforcement agencies in Canaan, McCausland said.
Seven different officers fired at Murray-Burns, who was armed with an assault-style weapon; all seven are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when deadly force is used, officials said.
Bonney said the case illustrates the danger law enforcement officials face every day. “I think that it goes to show that nothing is routine for us,” he said. “We don’t know what is on the other side of that traffic stop.” | Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
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ROCKWOOD -- The Hudson’s annual New Year’s Day skate on the Eramosa River might soon go underwater.
The family has been going to Grandma’s house, gathering friends and neighbours in Rockwood, and heading down to the water for a big game of hockey for over four decades.
“It’s just become the one day of the year when we all come and get together,” said Liz Hudson. “I always said if Mom ever sold the house people would still show up on New Year’s Day.”
Former Rockwood resident Frazer Nagy says an old dam that used to operate nearby created the perfect sheet of ice, but that frozen water has been put in jeopardy in recent years.
“In the last four years we’ve only been able to go out on the ice once,” he said. “In several other years we were playing with a patch of open water not too far away.”
For the 2020 get together, the Hudson’s settling for a frozen parking lot as their rink.
Nagy adds that it’s eye opening to see how climate change has hit home.
“The get together has really brought us together for generations, I grew up learning how to skate here,” he said. “I am very fearful for my children who may never be able to play in the same way I did.”
Despite the thin ice, the Rockwood community and Hudson family say they’re dedicated to keeping the New Year’s Day tradition going.
“This has been going on for most of my Mom’s life,” said Sofia Hudson. “It’s great.” | Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from leicestermercury - Daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Hunt saboteurs tried to disrupt the tradition New Year’s Day on Melton Mowbray today.
A large crowd of hunt supporters turned up to watch members of the Cottesmore Hunt ride out at the town’s Play Close to mark the start of 2020.
However there was also a group of around 50 anti-hunt campaigners who arrived from across the country.
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They were carrying placards and some wore masks as they staged a vocal protest.
One observer told LeicestershireLive: “I’ve been coming to the New Year’s Day meet for years and this is the first time there have ever been sabs that I know of.
(Image: Lionel Heap)
“There wasn’t any trouble but they were very vocal and they had some really offensive things written on their placards which wasn’t great considering there were so many children there.
“They were vastly out numbered by the hunt supporters and one the riders left so did they.
“Despite the protest it was still a good day.” | 1.666667 |
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New Year's resolutions come in all kinds of varieties, from working out more to learning new skills. You may not have, however, considered overhauling your oral hygiene. It shouldn't just be a New Year's resolution; taking care of your teeth is one of the most important things you can do in your life. Make a permanent change for the better in 2020 by investing in the ProSonic Whitening Toothbrush.
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Invest in your oral hygiene this year. The ProSonic Whitening Toothbrush comes with four brush heads and retails at $79.99 but you can save 56 percent when you buy today for just $34.99. | Considering going vegan? There's no better time to try the plant-based approach to eating than the start of a new year. That's not just because it makes an appropriate New Year's resolution, but also because of Veganuary — the trend of going vegan for January initiated by a non-profit organisation of the same name. But what exactly is it, and how can you have the best chance of succeeding at making the transition?
Ahead, discover what Veganuary is and our top tips on joining in on the initiative in 2020, as well as some basic information on what you can and can't eat on a vegan diet, how to get your daily nutrients, and how to avoid common pitfalls. We've also rounded up some delicious vegan recipes to show you how to convert your favourites into vegan versions — from bolognese, chili, and curry to tacos, stew, risotto, and ramen. There's also a comprehensive list of UK chain restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and pubs where you'll find vegan offerings aplenty. | 1 |
The on Wednesday announced that work on the country's third lunar mission, was on and the launch may shift to next year. The announcement comes a day after Union Minister Jitendra Singh said India will launch in 2020.
Addressing a press conference here, chairman said all activities related to the third lunar mission were going on smoothly. It will also have a lander, rover and a propulsion module like its predecessor, he said.
On the cost of the project, Sivan said, "the mission would cost Rs 250 crore." The launch of Chandrayaan 3 may shift to next year, he said. | ISRO identifies four astronauts for Gaganyaan mission
| By
SOURCE: ENS
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has identified four astronauts for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission. Many of Gaganyaan’s systems are yet to be tested, ISRO chief K Sivan said, adding, the crew training would be a major activity in 2020. He was interacting with reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Gaganyaan is a crewed orbital spacecraft that will send astronauts to space for at least seven days by 2022. It is a part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. In December, a senior IAF officer said that the air force had shortlisted 12 persons as ‘Gagan Yatris’ (astronauts) for the Gaganyaan project, of which seven have gone to Russia for training. The rest of the selected people would be sent once the batch of seven returns from Russia, the officer had said.
Sivan also said India’s next moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, had been approved, and would mostly be launched next year.
“The land acquisition for a second space port has been initiated and the port will be in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu,” the ISRO chief said during a press conference. | 2.666667 |
Victims of Johnson County plane crash identified
An investigation continues after a small plane crashed during takeoff from an airport near Kansas City, killing the pilot and a passenger.
The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the victims as the pilot, 48-year-old Jonathan J. Vannatta of Maumelle, Arkansas, and 43-year-old passenger Darcy L. Matthews of Belton, Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration registry lists Vannatta as co-owner of the plane.
The accident happened around 4 p.m. Tuesday at Johnson County Executive Airport. The plane was on fire when emergency responders arrived.
FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said the single-engine Mooney M20S crashed "under unknown circumstances" shortly after departing from the airport. | The pilot and passenger killed when a small single-engine plane crashed during takeoff from the Johnson County Executive Airport Tuesday have been identified as a 48-year-old Arkansas man and a 43-year-old Texas woman, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.
Jonathan J. Vannatta of Maumelle, Arkansas, who was piloting the 2000 Mooney M20S, and his passenger, Darcy L. Matthews of Belton, Texas, died in the fiery crash shortly after 4 p.m., according to the highway patrol’s preliminary crash report.
Vannatta is listed as a co-owner of the plane, according to the FAA aircraft registry.
The plane had just taken off from the airport at 151st Street and Pflumm Road on Runway 18, heading south. It began to slow and then turned over headed to the ground, according to a statement from the Kansas Highway Patrol.
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As the plane descended, it struck several trees before slamming into the ground and bursting into flames in a field east of the runway near the 15600 block of Parkhill Street in Overland Park.
Vannatta and Matthews were found dead inside the aircraft. They were the only ones on board.
Overland Park and Olathe police and fire personnel responded to the crash. The four- to six-passenger craft was on fire when they arrived.
.
“When you see the scene, it’s very tragic looking,” Capt. Mike Hall, a spokesman for the Olathe Fire Department said Tuesday evening. “More than likely, they were thinking recovery at the first glance.”
Firefighters extinguished the fire withing 15 to 20 minutes, Hall said.
It was unknown what caused the crash or where the plane was headed, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Gustavo Ramirez said Tuesday evening. The pilot had not submitted a flight plan, which is not required for all flights.
An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to arrive Wednesday and will take over the investigation into the crash.
The investigator will document the crash, taking photos and measurements as well as talking to witnesses and gathering air traffic control recordings. The wreckage will then be moved a secured location to be examined further, said Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the NTSB.
A preliminary report is expected to be available in about two weeks, with the final report completed in 18 to 24 months.
The Executive Airport has reopened, Johnson County announced on Twitter shortly before noon Wednesday.
The Johnson County Executive Airport has re-opened. We have those who lost their lives and their loved ones in our thoughts today. — Johnson County, Kan. (@jocogov) January 1, 2020
KC Blotter newsletter: Crime, courts, more Stay up-to-date on crime, courts and other stories from around the Kansas City region. Delivered to your inbox every morning, Monday-Saturday. SIGN UP | 4 |
Golf Stand Bag Market Share, Size 2020| Emerging Rapidly with Latest Trends, Growth, Revenue, Demand and Global Forecast to 2025
Posted on Jan 2 2020 5:44 AM
"Global Golf Stand Bag Industry 2020 research report signifies the detail overview of existing market State, Size, Share and forecast 2020-2025. The Golf Stand Bag report further covers the comprehensive analysis of the future progress of the Golf Stand Bag Market. Additionally, this report gives Golf Stand Bag Market trends, share, development, and cost structure and drivers analysis. "
' Golf Stand Bag Market Development 2020-2025 begins with a market summary and covers market research data that is significant for new market players. The report emphasis on the segmentation, competitive landscape, geographical growth, market forecast and major market dynamics containing drivers, restraints, and opportunities. The report focus on key production, revenue, and consumption trends. Moreover, an Industry overview, revenue share, and SWOT analysis of the foremost players in the market have been provided in the report.
Request a Sample Copy of the Report - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/14918351
Golf Stand Bag Market Segment by Manufacturers includes:
TaylorMade
Callaway
Acushnet Holdings
Sun Mountain
Sumitomo Rubber Industries（SRIXON,XXIO,Cleveland)
Ping
Jones Sports Company
Honma
Cobra
Dynamic Brands
RJ Sport Typhoon
Paragon
TourEdge
A99Golf
PGM and many more.
This report focuses on the Golf Stand Bag in global market , especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.
By Types, the Golf Stand Bag Market can be Split into:
2-4 Way
5-6 Way
Others.
By Applications, the Golf Stand Bag Market can be Split into:
Man
Woman
Juniors.
Inquire or share your questions if any before the purchasing this report - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/14918351
Scope of the Report:
Stand bags feature a design that's unique compared to other styles of golf bag—they have two retractable legs.
These legs allow the bag to stand either completely upright (like a staff or cart bag) or else it can stand canted, where its two legs extend out to stabilize the bag while allowing for easy access to any club. When the bag is upright, the legs retract and lay snug against the bag.
Golfers prefer stand bags when they are walking on the course. That's because the retractable legs allow the bag to remain upright on turf, whereas cart or staff bags are designed to be used on flat surfaces, such as the back of a riding cart. But if you walk the course, there's no need for your clubs to stay on the cart path when you're teeing off or lining up a putt.
Many stand bags come equipped with backpack-style shoulder straps that distribute the weight across both shoulders. Stand bags weigh about 5 pounds or lighter. Some even have additional ergonomic features, such as a hip pad to prevent the bag from rubbing you the wrong way as you walk.
It also should be noted that stand bags can be used with push/pull carts or strapped to the back of a riding cart. But you should take particular care when doing so, especially with push or pull carts, to make sure the legs don't get damaged in trying to secure it with straps.
The global Golf Stand Bag market is valued at xx million US$ in 2018 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% during 2020-2025. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Golf Stand Bag market based on company, product type, end user and key regions.
This report studies the global market size of Golf Stand Bag in key regions like North America, Europe, China and Japan, focuses on the consumption of Golf Stand Bag in these regions.
This research report categorizes the global Golf Stand Bag market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Golf Stand Bag market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels and distributors.
The study objectives of this report are:
To study and analyze the global Golf Stand Bag market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025.
To understand the structure of Golf Stand Bag market by identifying its various subsegments.
To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).
Focuses on the key global Golf Stand Bag manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.
To analyze the Golf Stand Bag with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.
To project the value and volume of Golf Stand Bag submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).
To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.
To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.
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TOC (Table of content):
Table of Contents
1 Study Coverage
1.1 Golf Stand Bag Product Introduction
1.2 Market Segments
1.3 Key Manufacturers Covered
1.4 Market by Type
1.4.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Market Size Growth Rate by Type
1.5 Market by Application
1.5.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Market Size Growth Rate by Application
1.6 Study Objectives
1.7 Years Considered
2 Executive Summary
2.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Market Size
2.1.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Revenue 2014-2025
2.1.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Sales 2014-2025
2.2 Golf Stand Bag Growth Rate by Regions
2.2.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Sales by Regions
2.2.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Regions
3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers
3.1 Golf Stand Bag Sales by Manufacturers
3.1.1 Golf Stand Bag Sales by Manufacturers
3.1.2 Golf Stand Bag Sales Market Share by Manufacturers
3.2 Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Manufacturers
3.2.1 Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2020)
3.2.2 Golf Stand Bag Revenue Share by Manufacturers (2014-2020)
3.3 Golf Stand Bag Price by Manufacturers
3.4 Golf Stand Bag Manufacturing Base Distribution, Product Types
3.4.1 Golf Stand Bag Manufacturers Manufacturing Base Distribution, Headquarters
3.4.2 Manufacturers Golf Stand Bag Product Type
3.4.3 Date of International Manufacturers Enter into Golf Stand Bag Market
3.5 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans
4 Breakdown Data by Type
4.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Sales by Type
4.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Type
4.3 Golf Stand Bag Price by Type
5 Breakdown Data by Application
5.1 Overview
5.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Breakdown Data by Application
6 North America
6.1 North America Golf Stand Bag by Country
6.1.1 North America Golf Stand Bag Sales by Country
6.1.2 North America Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Country
6.1.3 United States
6.1.4 Canada
6.1.5 Mexico
6.2 North America Golf Stand Bag by Type
6.3 North America Golf Stand Bag by Application
7 Europe
7.1 Europe Golf Stand Bag by Country
7.1.1 Europe Golf Stand Bag Sales by Country
7.1.2 Europe Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Country
7.1.3 Germany
7.1.4 France
7.1.5 UK
7.1.6 Italy
7.1.7 Russia
7.2 Europe Golf Stand Bag by Type
7.3 Europe Golf Stand Bag by Application
8 Asia Pacific
8.1 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag by Region
8.1.1 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag Sales by Region
8.1.2 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Region
8.1.3 China
8.1.4 Japan
8.1.5 South Korea
8.1.6 India
8.1.7 Australia
8.1.8 Indonesia
8.1.9 Thailand
8.1.10 Malaysia
8.1.11 Philippines
8.1.12 Vietnam
8.2 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag by Type
8.3 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag by Application
9 Central & South America
9.1 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag by Country
9.1.1 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag Sales by Country
9.1.2 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Country
9.1.3 Brazil
9.2 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag by Type
9.3 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag by Application
10 Middle East and Africa
10.1 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag by Country
10.1.1 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag Sales by Country
10.1.2 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag Revenue by Country
10.1.3 Turkey
10.1.4 GCC Countries
10.1.5 Egypt
10.1.6 South Africa
10.2 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag by Type
10.3 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag by Application
11 Company Profiles
11.1 Company Details
11.2 Company Business Overview
………
12 Future Forecast
12.1 Golf Stand Bag Market Forecast by Regions
12.1.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Sales Forecast by Regions 2020-2025
12.1.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Revenue Forecast by Regions 2020-2025
12.2 Golf Stand Bag Market Forecast by Type
12.2.1 Global Golf Stand Bag Sales Forecast by Type 2020-2025
12.2.2 Global Golf Stand Bag Revenue Forecast by Type 2020-2025
12.3 Golf Stand Bag Market Forecast by Application
12.4 North America Golf Stand Bag Forecast
12.5 Europe Golf Stand Bag Forecast
12.6 Asia Pacific Golf Stand Bag Forecast
12.7 Central & South America Golf Stand Bag Forecast
12.8 Middle East and Africa Golf Stand Bag Forecast
13 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis
13.1 Market Opportunities and Drivers
13.2 Market Challenges
13.3 Market Risks/Restraints
13.4 Macroscopic Indicators
14 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis
14.1 Value Chain Analysis
14.2 Golf Stand Bag Customers
14.3 Sales Channels Analysis
14.3.1 Sales Channels
14.3.2 Distributors
15 Research Findings and Conclusion
16 Appendix
16.1 Research Methodology
16.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach
16.1.2 Data Source
16.2 Author Details
16.3 Disclaimer
And Continued…
Contact Us:
Name: Ajay More
Phone: US +1424 253 0807/ UK +44 203 239 8187
Mail id: [email protected] | Precast Concrete Construction Market 2020 Industry Demand, Share, Trend, Industry News, Growth, Top Key Players, Business Statistics and Forecast to 2025
Posted on Jan 2 2020 5:46 AM
"The Precast Concrete Construction Market project the value and sales volume of Precast Concrete Construction submarkets, with respect to key regions. "
' Precast Concrete Construction Market Report comprise of strong research on global Precast Concrete Construction industry which enables the customer to look at the possible requirement as well as prediction. The development ratio which is expected in perspective of the rational analysis provides thorough information of the worldwide Precast Concrete Construction industry. The constraints and drivers are assembled after a profound study of the global Precast Concrete Construction market's proficiency.
Get a Sample Copy of the Report- https://www.industryresearch.co/enquiry/request-sample/14928495
About Precast Concrete Construction Market :
The global Precast Concrete Construction market was valued at million US$ in 2018 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2019-2025.
This report focuses on Precast Concrete Construction volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall Precast Concrete Construction market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect.
Regionally, this report categorizes the production, apparent consumption, export and import of Precast Concrete Construction in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.
For each manufacturer covered, this report analyzes their Precast Concrete Construction manufacturing sites, capacity, production, ex-factory price, revenue and market share in global market.
The following key players are covered in Precast Concrete Construction report, with sales, revenue, market share for each company:
Gulf Precast
High Concrete Group LLC
KEF Infra
PRECA
ICL Construction
Atlanta Structural Concrete (ASC)
Vollert
Ashtabula Concrete & Construction (AC & C)
Simon Contractors
Atlas Concrete
WAMA AB
Westkon Precast
Schuster Concrete Construction
Barfoote Construction
Pekso Precast
Western Precast Structures Inc
Amrapali
ARMADO a.s.
Binghamton Precast & Supply Corp
Report further studies the Precast Concrete Construction market development status and future trend across the world. Also, it splits Precast Concrete Construction market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospects.
Precast Concrete Construction Market Segments by Applications:
Non-residential
Residential
Precast Concrete Construction Market Segments by Types:
Structural Building Components
Architectural Building Components
For More Information or Query or Customization Before Buying, Visit at- https://www.industryresearch.co/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/14928495
Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Precast Concrete Construction in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering
North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)
South America (Brazil etc.)
Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries)
Reasons to buy this Precast Concrete Construction Market Report:
Save time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the size, growth, and leading players in the emerging Precast Concrete Construction market.
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Leading company profiles reveal details of key Precast Concrete Construction market players emerging five operations and financial performance.
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Compares data from North America, South America, Asia Pacific Europe and Middle East Africa, alongside individual chapters on each region.
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Detailed Table of Contents of Global Precast Concrete Construction Market Professional Survey Report 2019:
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1 Industry Overview of Precast Concrete Construction
1.1 Definition of Precast Concrete Construction
1.2 Precast Concrete Construction Segment by Type
1.2.1 Global Precast Concrete Construction Production Growth Rate Comparison by Types (2014-2025)
1.2.2 Structural Building Components
1.2.3 Architectural Building Components
1.3 Precast Concrete Construction Segment by Applications
1.3.1 Global Precast Concrete Construction Consumption Comparison by Applications (2014-2025)
1.3.2 Non-residential
1.3.3 Residential
1.4 Global Precast Concrete Construction Overall Market
1.4.1 Global Precast Concrete Construction Revenue (2014-2025)
1.4.2 Global Precast Concrete Construction Production (2014-2025)
1.4.3 North America Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
1.4.4 Europe Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
1.4.5 China Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
1.4.6 Japan Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
1.4.7 Southeast Asia Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
1.4.8 India Precast Concrete Construction Status and Prospect (2014-2025)
2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis
2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers
2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Precast Concrete Construction
2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Precast Concrete Construction
2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Precast Concrete Construction
3 Development and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Precast Concrete Construction
3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date
3.2 Global Precast Concrete Construction Manufacturing Plants Distribution
3.3 Major Manufacturers Technology Source and Market Position of Precast Concrete Construction
3.4 Recent Development and Expansion Plans
4 Key Figures of Major Manufacturers
4.1 Precast Concrete Construction Production and Capacity Analysis
4.2 Precast Concrete Construction Revenue Analysis
4.3 Precast Concrete Construction Price Analysis
4.4 Market Concentration Degree
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Downtown restaurant offers a new take on the state's classic cocktail, the Old Fashioned.
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From an iconic beer culture to Bloody Marys with all the fixings, Wisconsin takes its drinking seriously. Maybe the most intriguing of the state’s signature beverages is the Old Fashioned — with brandy, of course. This supper club staple may be experiencing a comeback nationwide, but in Wisconsin, it never left — and the reason why may surprise you.
The Wisconsin Old Fashioned
Traditionally an Old Fashioned consists of whiskey, bitters, and sugar — but Wisconsinites have their own traditions, starting with brandy.
Wisconsin’s love affair with brandy goes back before prohibition to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. German immigrants settled in Milwaukee traveled in droves to Chicago to experience the wonders the fair had promised and there, found exactly what they’d been looking for.
The Korbel brothers came from the West Coast slinging bottles of brandy, a sweet, typically European spirit that hadn’t quite infiltrated American culture. For the new Milwaukeeans in attendance, the Korbel brothers’ drink was a welcome taste of home. Before long, brandy was a regular replacement for other liquors in mixed drinks — which is how it ended up in our Old Fashioneds.
Another quirk, Wisconsin Old Fashioneds include a wash — that is, a sweet or sour soda mixer — and muddled orange and cherry, a riff that traces back to prohibition, when low-quality alcohol necessitated stronger, sugary mixers to make the drink bearable.
Tasty and potent, the recipe stuck. Today, Wisconsinites tout their preferences with pride. “I’m a brandy sweet drinker, through and through,” said Marie Howard, a lifelong Wisconsin resident. “Add the cherry garnish and you’ve got a perfect drink.”
Cocktails and Community
It makes sense that 100 years after turning the Old Fashioned into something new and distinct, Wisconsin bars and restaurants continue to serve up creative takes on the beloved classic.
Jill Mirate, General Manager of Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery Milwaukee, loves honoring Wisconsin traditions in unconventional ways. “Wisconsinites have always been rulebreakers, and they can appreciate something creative and offbeat,” said Mirate. “That adventurous attitude makes the whole thing fun.”
Today, Rock Bottom Milwaukee is mixing it up with its new Root Beer Old Fashioned. Made with Wild Turkey Bourbon, root beer and orange bitters, this cocktail is sure to warm you up and satisfy your sweet tooth. Pair it with the Kolsch-battered fish and chips, and you’ll be feasting on a remixed Wisconsin classic.
Right in the heart of downtown, Rock Bottom Milwaukee carries not only the state’s official beverage, but also the distinct spirit of camaraderie found in every supper club, corner bar and neighborhood restaurant in the 414. This winter, cozy up with friends over dark, rich craft beers, seasonal cocktails, and hearty American fare — and if you’re old fashioned about your Old Fashioneds, don’t fret. The Milwaukee staple is available year-round in all its classic glory.
“At the end of the day, it’s as much about community as it is Old Fashioneds, fish frys or any other Milwaukee tradition,” Mirate said.
Rock Bottom Milwaukee offers an extended happy hour Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., an ever-changing craft beer list and a warm, inviting atmosphere made for friends, loved ones, and plenty of Old Fashioneds. | How do you feel when someone expresses a belief that you think is absolutely crazy? Like the idea that Barack Obama is not an American citizen or the “deep state” is out to get the president or that 9/11 was an inside job or the moon landing was faked?
Today, with Donald Trump spouting lies, distortions and disinformation on a daily basis, conspiracy theories (CT) have forced their way into our social consciousness.
According to Business Insider magazine, Trump has voiced — or tweeted — some 24 different conspiracy theories. His latest conspiracy about Ukraine represented his chief defense against impeachment. As citizens, we need to make sense of these messages and be able to identify what is true, what is false and — equally important — what is undetermined.
We are indeed living in an age of alternative facts where the line between fact and fiction has become muddied. Questions about conspiracies beg to be answered. What qualifies as a conspiracy? Is it pathological to buy into a conspiracy theory? Why do some embrace conspiracies while others reject them?
Recent research can help explain the science behind conspiracy theories. A leading expert is Jan-Willem van Prooijen, a professor of social and organizational psychology at the University of Amsterdam. His book, The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (Routledge, 2018) offers some answers.
What defines a conspiracy theory? A belief that a number of actors join together in secret agreement, in order to achieve a hidden goal that is perceived to be unlawful or malevolent. Van Prooijen lists five criteria required for a BELIEF to qualify as a CONSPIRACY THEORY:
Patterns: A CT must attempt to explain non-random connections between actions, objects and people.
Agency: A CT assumes that the suspect event was caused on purpose by intelligent actors.
Coalitions: A CT always involves a coalition or group of multiple actors.
Hostility: A CT tends to assume the suspected coalition is pursuing goals that are evil, selfish or not in the public interest.
Continued secrecy: The CT has not yet been exposed by hard evidence and so remains secret and unproven.
What is the key psychological driver underlying conspiracy theories? Safety — or lack thereof. Feeling safe is a fundamental human need. Unpredictable or extreme social conditions (mass shootings, natural disasters, climate change, income inequality, changing demographics, disease epidemics, political discord) make people feel less safe and therefore, less in control. When safety is threatened, people process information differently. Several studies have established a link between the strength of distressing feelings and belief in conspiracies.
Secondly, some people are quick to embrace a faulty belief to gain a sense of control over their underlying fears and anxieties. A fixed belief can serve this purpose whether it is true or false. Studies also suggest they are more likely to be intuitive rather than rational thinkers. Unfortunately, this tendency comes at the expense of critical thinking because the emotional brain overrides the rational brain. But this is most likely outside of their awareness.
Third, when an individual is under stress or in crisis, their cognitive field tends to narrow and their focus becomes externalized. Rather than exploring inner fears and anxieties, they look outside themselves for easy answers. And they can easily find them on the internet.
Fourth, people tend to fear the worst in situations that cause them anxiety. This is often expressed through anger and projected onto “outgroups” such as immigrants and minorities. This represents the hostility element that is central to conspiracy theories.
Two other cognitive processes are fundamental to conspiracy theories: pattern perception and agency detection. Pattern perception is the tendency of people to “connect the dots” by creating causal links between people, objects and events. The rush to embrace faulty beliefs limits their ability to see that events are often random rather than related.
Finally, agency detection refers to our tendency to perceive intentionality in the actions of others. However, people commonly mistake others’ motives, especially if they are perceived to be different. This signifies yet another element of conspiracy thinking: thinking that other people are acting with malevolent intentions.
Patrick Gannon is a clinical and performance psychologist in private practice in San Francisco and San Rafael | 1 |
Here we go again, starting off on a new year and a new decade. The year is 2020, and my vision is too, so here’s what I see coming:
The sea will rise, the ground will shake, the fires will rage, the state will sue the Trump administration every Tuesday and sometimes on Thursday, some people will flee, others will arrive, the cost of housing will rise, the number of homeless people will grow, and the bullet train will not leave the station.
Wait a minute, that was last year’s prediction.
Actually, call me naive, but I’m going to go out on a limb this year and predict a bit of movement in 2020 on new strategies to address homelessness.
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Do not misread that. I said “a bit of.” Homelessness is here to stay in California, where wealth drives up prices, we don’t build enough new housing, and far too many people earn wages that don’t cover the rent.
But the public demand for solutions has heated up, and the state is exploring ways to put more roofs over more heads.
And if all goes as planned, a Hollywood pilot program based on an Italian model will begin an ambitious effort to shred bureaucracy and other impediments to housing and serving the area’s most severely mentally disabled residents.
The project is fraught with challenges, but this early in the year, I’m pretending to be an optimist.
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Except when it comes to the Dodgers.
Stop wondering when they’re finally going to win another World Series. I can tell you right now the next victory parade will be in 2038, when Clayton Kershaw’s son is in the starting rotation. The Dodgers signed an $8-billion-plus broadcast deal with the devil in 2013, leaving thousands of loyal fans without TV coverage, and I hereby predict the blackout curse will not end for another 18 years.
The Clippers, however, will win the NBA championship. No, not the Lakers, who don’t work as hard as the Clippers. Write it down and take me to lunch when it happens.
Speaking of lunch, I predict this will be the year the Los Angeles Times corrects a grave oversight and adds Los Tacos, on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, to its list of best restaurants.
This is not food you should eat. It’s food you deserve to eat, especially if you just lost your job, someone left you, or Donald Trump gets reelected.
Go with the #3 combination, and thank the heavens you live in a corner of the world where you can get cheese enchiladas at 3 a.m., should the need arise (open 24 hours, and I once had lunch there with billionaire Eli Broad, I kid you not).
While I’m on the subject of restaurants, I’m reminded of my pet peeve of 2019.
You walk into a restaurant, they ask if you have a reservation, you say yes, and they say “perfect.”
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They ask if you’d like tap water or bottled water, you say tap, and they say “perfect.”
They ask if you’d like anything else, you say no just the bill, and they say “perfect.”
My question:
Why?
This is all the more reason to eat at Los Tacos. Nobody says “perfect,” and they might not even talk to you, which is OK.
Another pet peeve of 2019: the New York Times telling Californians how we’re doing or how we’re feeling.
“It’s the End of California As We Know It,” we were informed in October. The NYT explained to us rubes that “at the heart of our state’s rot” is “a failure to live sustainably.”
We are not without sin, but as I pass another electric car, look beyond a cluster of windmills and into the glare of solar farm reflections, huh?
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Then, this week, the NYT began its latest doomsday story with a flimsy anecdote about someone who had lived in the Bay Area since 2004, ran for office in San Francisco, lost, and moved to Denver with her family because of California’s many problems.
Good riddance, say I.
“California is at a crossroads,” said the NYT.
Guess what? Everybody is; every city, every state is at a crossroads.
The country is at a crossroads.
We’ve got a president who said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in New York and get away with it, and it turns out he wasn’t kidding.
A president, I might add, who is actively and aggressively trying to pollute our air and water, who believes scientists are crackpots, who is an inspiration to white supremacists, who has whiffed on all his major campaign promises (a list topped by cheaper, better healthcare for all), but for all that, could still get reelected.
That, my friends, is a nation at a crossroads.
California, to be clear, does indeed have major social and economic problems, which we don’t need help identifying, thank you very much, New York Times. And it also has major assets.
Kind of like New York.
Except that New York doesn’t have our beaches, and in the year 2020, in the noble cause of beach access for all, Gov. Gavin Newsom and I will kayak together from Gaviota State Park to Hollister Ranch.
A few months ago I got a call from Newsom’s office asking if I could meet him in Gaviota, so we could paddle north. I had written about the Hollister residents’ long fight to keep us locked out, and their argument that if the great unwashed want to visit, they can test the often treacherous waters and attempt to visit by sea.
Jerry Brown never asked me to go kayaking. Ronald Reagan didn’t call and say, hey, let’s go for a horseback ride, amigo. Arnold Schwarzenegger never invited me to go hiking (though he once called and asked me to meet him in Long Beach for a cigar, and I happily obliged).
But this year, if Hollister residents continue to flout the public’s constitutional right to access all the state’s beaches, they will have to answer to me and the governor and a motley flotilla of scurvy sea dogs. We will arrive by sea, plant a flag and fight to the death. You read it here first.
Bear with me now, because if you’re stealing a break from the Rose Parade, or a ballgame, or you’re having trouble lifting your head off a pillow, I have just one last observation to share before you embrace the new year.
It’s sad to note that two more newspapers in California have ended their run, as reported by my colleague Brittny Mejia. Sierra County’s Mountain Messenger, once published by Mark Twain, and the Martinez News-Gazette, which I used to read daily, are going out of business.
Those losses — the silencing of voices — are blows to the community and to the mission of keeping the bastards honest.
No newspaper operates without blind spots and deficiencies, but there is no bigger news operation west of the Hudson than the Los Angeles Times, and no greater source of accountability journalism in California.
In this, my 45th year as a journalist, my colleagues in sports, in entertainment, in foreign, national, state and local news, are a daily inspiration, and I’m proud to be their colleague. I’m still a reader first and learn multitudes each day by going online or by turning pages.
Thanks to subscribers for your continued support (and shame on those who read without subscribing). In these tumultuous political times, I’m reminded of the Thomas Jefferson quote on the old Times parking lot in downtown Los Angeles:
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Happy new year.
steve.lopez@latimes.com | Left-wing Hollywood figures carried their resistance rage into the new decade, dumping on President Donald Trump and wishing for a year that “doesn’t include an ignorant corrupt soulless liar occupying the People’s House.”
Director Rob Reiner, for example, wished for a new year that “doesn’t include an ignorant corrupt soulless liar occupying the People’s House” — a direct reference to the president.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a 2020 that doesn’t include an ignorant corrupt soulless liar occupying the People’s House. — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) January 1, 2020
Prominent horror author Stephen King kicked off the year with a short rhyme, writing, “Of his lies we’ve had plenty, Kick his ass in 2020.”
Of his lies we've had plenty
Kick his ass in 2020. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) January 1, 2020
Broadway star Bette Midler also jumped back into full-blown Trump hate on New Years Day, practically bragging over the U.S. Embassy attack in Baghdad that occurred on Tuesday.
“Here’s your first 2020 crisis, Donnie! I hear you were out golfing and re-tweeting boxing matches! Way to go, babe!! So inspiring to all,” she tweeted. “Can’t wait to hear your testimony in front of Congress…oh wait.”
Here's your first 2020 crisis, Donnie! I hear you were out golfing and re-tweeting boxing matches! Way to go, babe!! So inspiring to all. Can't wait to hear your testimony in front of Congress…oh wait. https://t.co/zq68ncHvWH — Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 1, 2020
Sicko director Michael Moore, who endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), declared that this is the year America will “dump Trump.”
“Happy New Year & new decade everyone! It can only get better! This is Year we dump Trump & send a true advocate to the White House with a mass movement behind him/her,” he tweeted, adding, “We’ll win the Senate flipping just 3 seats.”
“Kindness will reign. Men will listen instead of fake listen. Pie!” he added.
Happy New Year & new decade everyone! It can only get better! This is Year we dump Trump & send a true advocate to the White House with a mass movement behind him/her. We’ll win the Senate flipping just 3 seats. Kindness will reign. Men will listen instead of fake listen. Pie! pic.twitter.com/8gwIoojCAS — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 1, 2020
Hollywood director Judd Apatow took aim at First Lady Melania Trump specifically, mocking her New Year’s wish for “peace on the world.”
“Maybe she meant piss on the world. Isn’t that how this whole mess started,” he wrote.
Maybe she meant piss on the world. Isn’t that how this whole mess started? https://t.co/aqrXXXXlxK — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) January 1, 2020
“HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL,” Rosie O’Donnell wrote, alongside the hashtag “#2020removeHIM.”
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL 🇺🇸❤️💋#2020removeHIM — ROSIE (@Rosie) January 1, 2020
Star Trek actor George Takei dreamt of a year with “perfect vision,” urging everyone to “see things for what they really are this year.”
“No con men, no spin doctors, no agents of disinformation. Let’s bring things into focus. Let’s see the path forward clearly,” he wrote.
2020. It means perfect vision. So let’s see things for what they really are this year. No con men, no spin doctors, no agents of disinformation. Let’s bring things into focus. Let’s see the path forward clearly. 2020. Let our vision be perfect. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 1, 2020
“Happy New Year to everyone! This year, let’s fill our hearts up with gratitude: treat every month in 2020 is if its May and the trees are full of mangoes!” left-wing actor Jim Carrey tweeted. “Yyyyyyummy!”
Happy New Year to everyone! This year, let’s fill our hearts up with gratitude: treat every month in 2020 is if its May and the trees are full of mangoes! Yyyyyyummy! pic.twitter.com/mL81ch9bJN — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) January 1, 2020
“2020 is our chance to fix the mistake we made in 2016. Or to dig the knife in deeper–which would be particularly dangerous because we’re probably losing our healthcare,” Full Frontal’s Samantha Bee warned. “Anyways, Happy New Year to all!”
2020 is our chance to fix the mistake we made in 2016. Or to dig the knife in deeper–which would be particularly dangerous because we’re probably losing our healthcare. Anyways, Happy New Year to all! pic.twitter.com/AQ9kC9qjiv — Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) January 1, 2020
The West Wing actor Bradley Whitford rang in the new year by claiming that Trump “fetishizes dictators and war criminals while undermining democracy and attacking war heroes.”
“He is an inversion of the spectacular, unfulfilled aspiration of our country,” he continued. “Check your registration. Organize. Vote him out.”
We have a president who fetishizes dictators and war criminals while undermining democracy and attacking war heroes. He is an inversion of the spectacular, unfulfilled aspiration of our country. Check your registration. Organize. Vote him out. — Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) January 1, 2020
“Putin is not my president . happy new year,” actress Rosanna Arquette tweeted.
Putin is not my president . happy new year 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸✌🏼🙏🏿👏✊🏿 — Rosanna Arquette🌎✌🏼 (@RoArquette) January 1, 2020
Similarly, actor Ron Perlman harped on the longheld Russia collusion hoax.
Putin is not my president . happy new year 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸✌🏼🙏🏿👏✊🏿 — Rosanna Arquette🌎✌🏼 (@RoArquette) January 1, 2020
General Hospital actress Amber Tamblyn did not mince words, wishing everyone — except the president — a happy new year.
Happy New Year to everyone but Donald Trump 😘 — Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) January 1, 2020
“2020 goal: Trump loses and they let Rachel Maddow and I get blacked out drunk on MSNBC for New Years to compete with Anderson and @Andy,” American Horror Story star Billy Eichner tweeted. | 1.666667 |
Apollo Global Management LLC and Varde Partners LP are no longer considering bidding for Altico Capital India Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter, narrowing the number of suitors for the troubled shadow lender.
The firms pulled out because they were unwilling to meet creditor demands to inject as much as ₹2,000 crore ($280 million) of fresh equity into Altico, two people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. A spokesman for Apollo confirmed its withdrawal while Varde declined to comment.
That leaves Cerberus Capital Management LP, SSG Capital Management, and Kotak Investment Advisors Ltd. in the race for the real-estate focused lender, three people said. Representatives for Cerberus, SSG and Kotak declined to comment.
Altico’s troubles follow a spate of defaults among Indian shadow banks over the last 16 months, making it harder for the sector to raise funds. The cash crunch is also spilling over into the broader economy, given that these lenders fund everything from the construction of condominiums to purchases of personal goods like cars and phones.
Apollo was only willing to inject part of the money creditors sought, while Varde wanted to wait for a turnaround in Altico before investing, two people said.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. | 1.333333 | |
IF YOU know someone deserving of recognition, don’t wait any longer.
Nominations for Mackay Regional Council’s Australia Day Awards close soon.
A Mackay Regional Council spokesman said the awards were a perfect way to acknowledge the efforts of local heroes who went above and beyond to help their communities.
Nominating someone can be done online. Or download a hard copy version of the form and return it to one of council’s client service centres.
Award Categories include: | A print of this picture by my friend the photographer Ashima Narain hangs in my living room. A small group of school-children huddle around a solar-powered lamp, trying to read. They are probably working on their homework. The dark threatens to flood them and the plain of the picture but they will not be conquered.
They will work on, they will strive on.
And when I am tired of teaching – and I have taught for 25 years at the Social Communications Media Department of the Sophia Polytechnic – I look at these children, I look at the small circle of light, I look at the growing darkness, and I think, “Okay, one more year.”
Children Reading around Solar Lamp by Ashima Narain.
Read all the articles in the Art of Resistance series here. | 1 |
Huron police arrest shooters
If you wish to see more... | Dec. 24, 12:31 p.m.
Officers received a report that a female runaway returned home and her parents had a video of her doing drugs. The anonymous caller said the girl sold Xanax to another juvenile. The parents requested a medical transport to take her to the hospital to be drug tested.
Dec. 24, 3:05 p.m.
Someone called and said an English Mastiff was in danger in a backyard. The caller said the dog looked like it was dying. It was very thin and weak and not allowed inside. Officers spoke with the owner, who said the dog was 13 years old and would be going to the vet after “one last holiday.”
Dec. 25, 7:55 a.m.
A woman reported that her vehicle had been stolen while she was in Starbucks. She told the officers she had slept in it the night before and could not find her keys. She also said her small dog was inside the vehicle. As the officers were attempting to locate the vehicle, she told them she had actually been sleeping in the vehicle for four or five days. They determined drugs were involved, found the car and had the man who took it at gunpoint. Both were taken into custody and the man was transported to Clark County Detention Center. The dog had been let go and was found about 3½ hours later.
Dec. 25, 11:31 a.m.
Officers received a report that a juvenile was trying to climb over a fence into an unoccupied residence. They responded and found a second juvenile. They determined that both lived at the home and everything was fine.
Dec. 25, 1:10 p.m.
A woman called the police and said a man in a parking lot had made a “weird face” to her son. She said he acted like the man was going to slit her son’s throat and then left the scene. She also said her neighbors were drug dealers. The officers said she was being very argumentative. They said she “fired them and advised” that she was now the police. She also would not tell them her name. Officers said she was possibly drunk.
Dec. 26, 2 a.m.
Officers reported that they were out with a possible suspect from a stabbing being investigated by the Henderson Police Department. A minute later they had the suspect at gunpoint. Three people were detained and the officers contacted HPD, which arrived and took the suspect into custody. The other two people were let go.
Dec. 26, 1:36 p.m.
Officers took a man into custody for going 90 miles per hour in a 50 mile an hour zone. The driver was also not wearing a seat belt and had a child in the back seat.
Dec. 27, 6:44 a.m.
Someone reported that an electrical box in front of an apartment had blown out and was sparking. The city’s electrical department was notified. Officers shut off the main breaker, but the circuit breaker box was still smoking. The adjacent apartment was also evacuated. Twenty minutes later the fire was out and there was just some smouldering wires. About half an hour after the call, someone from the electrical department arrived and shut off power to the building.
Dec. 28, 1:37 p.m.
A man called the police and said the cables to his satellite dish had been pulled out of the side of his house. He said he wanted to speak to an officer and possibly file a report. Officers responded, but the man decided not to file a report. He requested extra patrol in the area.
Dec. 28, 6:51 p.m.
Someone reported that three juveniles were at a playground and one of them had urinated on a wall.
Dec. 29, 7:35 p.m.
Officers received a report that someone’s neighbor had a television that was playing loudly. The caller said it was an ongoing problem. Officers responded, and the man agreed to turn down the patio television and wear headphones when watching it.
Dec. 30, 6:12 p.m.
Officers responded to a report of people using fire pits in a park and on the sidewalk. They responded, and the controlled fire pits were moved a proper location with the park. All parties were cooperative. | 1.666667 |
Bill Fugate, director of the Shalom shelter in Middletown, Ohio, talks with a homeless woman who sought help in December. (Amy Powell/For The Washington Post)
This small city, situated almost halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati, has long had a heart. In good times and bad, it has offered a generous network of privately funded homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation facilities and soup kitchens, plus a library that promotes access for all.
Yet in recent months, officials and residents have begun to question whom those services are benefiting and how to shoulder the cost. The police chief was the most prominent voice, accusing other communities of increasingly using Middletown as a dumping ground for their own problems.
“It is inhumane and it is irresponsible,” Rodney Muterspaw wrote in a lengthy Facebook post just before ending a 30-year police career. He recounted the “many times” officers had responded “to a person wandering around downtown only to find they were given a voucher for a cab from another city and sent here.”
The issues raised by Muterspaw’s self-described “rant” — which went viral, locally speaking — have only become more pressing with the arrival of winter. The homeless here, whether homegrown or from somewhere else, are estimated to number in the low hundreds. They may not attract White House attention, as homeless populations in Los Angeles and San Francisco have, but providing for them is as significant a challenge for Middletown, population 48,861, as for any major metropolitan area.
Steve Berg, vice president for programs and policy at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says the problem has the same root causes regardless of location: “There is a disconnect between the incomes of people with the lowest incomes and rents for the most modest houses or apartments.”
Middletown’s gritty self-reliance and economic vulnerabilities have drawn attention before, chronicled in local author J.D. Vance’s best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” And just five years ago, its Rust Belt downtown was still marked by shuttered storefronts and cash-for-gold outlets.
While there has since been a rebound, with an arts center, wine bar, yoga studio and even a boutique hotel now open along Central Avenue, the renewed sense of hope seems tenuous and the emergence of homeless people wandering around downtown has unnerved some businesses.
The local government has already begun making tough financial decisions, raiding the 2020 street paving budget to put additional police on the beat to engage with homeless individuals who need help. And the continuing fallout from Muterspaw’s social media post claimed the city manager, who the City Council felt hadn’t handled the situation effectively.
Middletown’s First United Methodist Church houses the Shalom Shelter in its basement. (Amy Powell/For The Washington Post)
The men and women at the center of the discussion cobble together a fragile existence. Their stories are as varied as those who tell them: addiction, failed marriages, prison, disability. One man lives in a donated car and eats at local charity kitchens, scrounging enough money to pay $10 a month for a Planet Fitness membership that gives him access to a hot shower. Another leaves a homeless encampment along the banks of the Great Miami River for hot meals at a day program called the Mission on Main.
Sterling Seiler found himself on Middletown’s streets in early December. The 26-year-old is candid about his past, most of which was spent in Greenville, Ohio, about 40 miles away. His unsavory years gradually escalated to breaking and entering and finally dealing meth; since 2014, he has often been behind bars. But after an adverse reaction to meth in November, he was transported from jail to a hospital in Troy, Ohio.
“The jails want to send you to the hospital to get rid of you,” Seiler said, adding that hospitals are eager to do the same. A few days later, he was taken to a shelter in Dayton; a second drug episode got him transferred farther south to Middletown’s Atrium Medical Center. The cycle repeated itself when he was again released: He was put in a cab that left him at a downtown shelter run by Shalom, a church-led network that provides homeless people with home-cooked suppers and overnight beds from December through April.
“I was dumped twice in 10 days,” said Seiler, who’d never before been to Middletown. “I didn’t know anything about [its] shelter. I didn’t even know where the door was.”
Shortly after Seiler showed up, a cab dropped off a man who said he was from Cleveland — four hours away. He started going through Shalom’s intake process but then changed his mind and went across the street to the library.
“That happens quite often,” said Bill Fugate, who directs the 30-bed program with a generous but firm hand. He followed the new arrival to the library and pleaded unsuccessfully for the man to come back for a hot meal, bed and help.
“Where he went after that, I don’t know,” Fugate said, adding that for many homeless in southwest Ohio, Shalom is their last best hope. It’s the only overnight program in the region that doesn’t test for drugs, a significant draw in a part of the country ravaged by the opioid epidemic.
Shalom cared for 129 individuals last winter and has already served 59 people since reopening its doors in December. Hope House, the city’s main shelter, will soon complete an $11.5 million, 41,000-square-foot location with 50 beds for men’s temporary housing and a collection of apartments. (A separate shelter welcomes women.)
Sterling Seiler, 26, isn’t from Middletown, but he wound up homeless there after being discharged from the hospital and put in a cab that drove him to a shelter. (Amy Powell/For The Washington Post)
According to Fugate, Seiler is hardly the only out-of-towner dropped off by the city’s own hospital, which sits five miles from town along Interstate 75. But hospitals throughout the region are also discharging patients to Shalom with no advance warning, he contended, as are other jurisdictions’ police departments and social service agencies.
Neighboring police officials deny that. “We try to help them. We don’t take them to Middletown and leave them,” said Franklin Chief Russ Whitman, whose city is six miles up the highway.
In a statement, Atrium’s parent company, Premier Health, said the medical center “takes very seriously its responsibility to discharge these patients safely.” It pointed out that “although patients might have accepted the discharge plan at the time of discharge, they have the right to change their minds and/or make their own decisions once they leave the hospital.”
Middletown Council member Ami Vitori has been among the most outspoken about the “homeless dumping” issue. She would like to see a coordinated regional response that tackles the root causes of homelessness: lack of housing, jobs and mental health care. She’d also like a more vigorous police presence augmented by a network of cameras to catch dumpers, with penalties for the ones doing it.
“People come here because we are doing a good job of taking care of them, and the word spreads on the street, but at the same time there isn’t enough funding to help people from outside of our community,” said Vitori, a downtown business owner who described several bizarre encounters she’s had with homeless people since moving back from Washington in 2015.
Muterspaw estimated in his Facebook post from October that 75 percent of Middletown’s homeless are from somewhere else, though confirming that is difficult.
“Many of them feel a sense of shame that no one in their home community wants them, and they find acceptance here, so they quickly identify as being from Middletown,” explained Kathy Becker, an area homeless advocate and caseworker for Access Counseling, a local agency that helps homeless individuals find shelter and work.
Shalom Shelter cared for 129 individuals last winter and has already served 59 people since reopening its doors in December. (Amy Powell/For The Washington Post)
After only a week here — much of it spent by day at the public library — Seiler had enough of a foothold in the city’s social services system that he didn’t plan to leave.
He’d scored a job interview for maintenance work at a factory and said he was staying clean and trying to fend off his legal troubles back in Greenville.
“I know this is my last chance. I need to document everything I am doing and show the judge that I’m trying to get on the right track,” Seiler said.
Once again, that track runs right through Middletown.
Homelessness in the U.S. rose for a third year, driven by surge in California, HUD says
Supreme Court won’t review decision that protects homeless from tickets
New York is shipping its homeless to squalid housing out of state, Newark lawsuit claims
Abandoned malls are sputtering back to life with megachurches, rooftop pools and homeless shelters | A new year typically brings new legislation, and in the U.S., laws addressing everything from plastic bags to recreational marijuana are now in effect or will go into effect soon. Here are 10 new laws taking effect.
1. Oregon bans single-use plastic bags
Some bans or restrictions on single-use plastic bags have been passed at the local level, others at the state level. One of those states is Oregon: on January 1, retail stores and restaurants will no longer be allowed to provide single-use plastic bags, although they can offer paper bags as an alternative if they charge least least five cents for them.
2. 22 states raise their minimum wages
Although the United States’ federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009, states and cities are free to raise their minimum wages — and in 2020, 22 states now have higher minimum wages, including New Mexico and Washington.
3. At least 8 states have higher fees for electric vehicles
In 2020, at least eight states have either increased their fees for electric vehicles or introduced new fees for them — and they range from $50 in Hawaii to $200 in Alabama and Ohio.
4. California enacts data privacy law
In California, the California Consumer Privacy Act will give consumers more control over how companies share their information with other companies. And the law affects not only California-based companies, but also, any companies doing business in California.
5. Illinois allows recreational marijuana use
Illinois will be the 12th state in the U.S. to allow adults to purchase or smoke marijuana recreationally. And in Hawaii, possession of small amounts of marijuana will be decriminalized in mid-January.
6. New York eliminates cash bail for nonviolent offenses
A new law in New York will eliminate cash bail for defendants charged with minor offenses or non-violent felonies. The goal is to reduce the number of people in pre-trial detention.
7. Victims of sexual abuse will have longer to file civil lawsuits
A new California law expands the statute of limitations for sexual abuse, allowing victims to file civil lawsuits up until the age of 40 or five years from the time the abuse was discovered.
8. Floridians will be fined for texting while driving
Under a new Florida law, those caught texting and driving will be fined $30 for non-moving violations and $60 for moving violations.
9. California forbids discrimination against black hairstyles
Under the Crown Act, California becomes the first state in the U.S. to forbid employers or school officials from discriminating against black hairstyles such as afros and braids.
10. Colorado law increases gun restriction
Under Colorado’s new “red flag” law, family members and law enforcement officials can petition a court to temporarily take a gun away from an individual they believe to be a threat to themselves or others. | 1 |
× Full Steam Ahead Podcast Episode 35 – Resolutions and Exercise
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – It’s 2020, and nearly everyone likes to start out the new year making resolutions, and goals to conquer something new, lose weight, exercise more, etc.
However, as the months, weeks, or even days pass by, some of us seem to give up on those goals very quickly, often because we’ve made those goals unattainable. According to a recent article written by Purdue School of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Libby Richards, making small, realistic goals, and building up to higher goals is the key to a successful year in accomplishing your resolutions.
On the latest episode of Full Steam Ahead: A Podcast About Purdue, CBS4’s Adam Bartels talks with Dr. Richards about the key points of her article including exercise, goal setting, and much more!
Follow the Full Steam Ahead podcast on Twitter, @fullsteampod , and subscribe to the podcast through your favorite app so new episodes go directly to your phone or tablet.
You can also listen to, subscribe, like, and/or comment on the podcasts on the following platforms | Looking back to the year just passed is an interesting thing to do. Sometimes sobering, at other times amusing, yet always somewhat inspiring if one considers what has been accomplished and what else is left to be done.
A lot has been accomplished in the city. Many ongoing and new initiatives have been pushed forward and continue into the new year. Observing and participating in the machinations of municipal goings on, even at the most fundamental level, is something of a civic duty that we all should share a sense of responsibility for. It’s what makes democracy great, that every man and woman makes a difference in what transpires, mainly when they express their viewpoints at the polls.
Looking ahead to what may come in 2020, we can’t help but feel optimistic about the days ahead. It will take some hard work and serious planning, but a lot can be accomplished if we pull together and focus on what’s important.
As always, it’s up to us to push things along in the right direction. To send the proper signals to our representatives in public office. To back them up when they get it right, and to call them on it when they seem to go astray. They have their duties and personal agendas, just as we have ours. Let each one carry on in the best way possible.
It is the time tested way of our community. We enjoy a uniquely favorable reputation as those who can. | 1 |
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] Jan 01 (ANI/NewsVoir): MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars Season 2 had a blockbuster finale on Friday with Prakhar Narayan from Lucknow bagging the coveted title of the second 'MTV Pantaloons Style Superstar'. The theme of this season was 'Style Transformation'.
The grand finale kick-started with the three finalists Prakhar Narayan, Srijita Ghosh and Ekanshi Singhal from Lucknow, Kolkata and Ahmedabad respectively, battling it out for the prestigious title of MTV Pantaloons Style Superstar.
The finale witnessed a gruelling competition as the contestants were asked to put together two unique looks based on future style trends under the mentorship of the ultimate style diva and VJ Anusha Dandekar.
This round was all about breaking barriers and stereotypes as they let their imagination soar. These up and coming trendsetters went beyond the basics and crafted impressive trend-challenging looks.
Anusha was joined by popular actresses Sana Saeed and Shenaz Treasurywala along with music artist Arjun Kanungo to judge the finale.
According to runner up, Srijita Ghosh from Kolkata, the styling inspired by anime and fictional characters from the gaming world would be a huge trend in the future. For her second ensemble, she showcased a ravishing look using five different tops and called out the print on print as a big fashion trend.
Ekanshi Singhal from Ahmedabad put together two spectacular ensembles to highlight her concept of 'casual is the new formal' and showcased how bright colours will never go out of vogue!It was delightful to watch the winner Prakhar Narayan's gender-fluid look as he also used garments from the women's section. Prakhar took everyone by surprise as he creatively used bobby pins and earrings as badges along with palazzos and showcased his outstanding style statement.
He also impressed the judges with his second look in which he used three different shirts to make one shirt and highlighted new ways of mix and match and layering.
"We are thrilled to announce Prakhar Narayan as the winner of MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars Season 2. The second edition of MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars focused on disruptive, ingenious and futuristic trends that would lead to fashion transformation. The finalists displayed tremendous potential under the able tutelage of style mentors as they doled out one fabulous look after another. We would like to thank our partner MTV for this collaboration and our viewers for the phenomenal response", said Ryan Fernandes, Head of MarketingE-Commerce, Pantaloons.
The previous episodes saw the finalists reaching the top as they engaged in tasks that had them create a unique capsule video representing their style, channelling their inner fashionista in an exciting after-party themed editorial shoot and upping their style game as they created five stunning looks in a minute.
It was a dream come true for them as leading models Urvi Shetty, Krissann Berreto and digital sensation Nidhi Singh turned style mentors, grooming them throughout the season and helping them push boundaries.
Watch the ultimate style transformation journey of the nine contestants on MTV this Friday at 10 PM. All the episodes of MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars are now live on the Voot app.
MTV Pantaloons Style Superstars provides a platform for young audiences to showcase their talent, flair for fashion and unique personalities. Staying true to the brand's mission of 'Style your Change', this year's property revolves around the theme of Style Transformation.
This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) | Kindly Share This Story:
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Command, on Wednesday confirmed the death of one person in a road accident along the Ijebu Ode-Ore Expressway.
The state FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Clement Oladele, disclosed this in Ota.
Oladele said the lone accident happened at 11:25 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to him, a Toyota Sienna Bus, with registration number, FKJ 453XW, was on a high speed when it tyres burst, lost control and somersaulted into the bush.
He said nine persons – five men, three women and a female child, were involved in the accident.
He said: “The corpse of the female victim has been deposited at the mortuary of the Ijebu Ode General Hospital, while two of the survivors are also receiving treatment at the same hospital.
“The third survivor who is a child was taken to Ise Oluwa Clinic J3 by a good samaritan before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team.”
The sector commander admonished motorists to desist from using imported used tyres and ensure that they check the expiring date on the tyres before purchasing them to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property on the highway. (NAN)
Vanguard
Kindly Share This Story: | 1 |
PASADENA (WKOW) -- Wisconsin returns to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2013 when they face the Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12 conference on New Year's Day in Pasadena.
The Badgers last faced the Ducks in the 2012 Rose Bowl, falling 45-38 in Bret Bielema's final bowl game as the Badgers' head coach.
Some argue the most memorable Rose Bowl of all time was the 1963 game where the Badgers, led by quarterback Ron Vander Kelen, scored 23 points during a fourth quarter comeback, but fell 42-37 loss to USC.
The Badgers three Rose Bowl wins came when current Athletic Director Barry Alvarez was head coach, winning in 1994, 1999 and 2000.
1953, 7-0 loss to USC
1960, 44-8 loss to Washington
1963, 42-37 loss to USC
1994, 21-16 win over UCLA
1999, 38-31 win over UCLA
2000, 17-9 win over Stanford
2011, 21-19 loss to TCU
2012, 45-38 loss to Oregon
2013, 20-14 loss to Stanford | 3.333333 | |
(CNN) The Ohio State School for the Blind's marching band bills itself as the only blind marching band in the world.
On Wednesday, the group adds another achievement to its list of accomplishments: Band members will be performing at the halftime show for the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
The marching band is made up of students in grades 7-12, at a school in Columbus, Ohio, where most of the students have little to no vision. But that hasn't stopped the band from racking up a pretty impressive resumé.
The Ohio State School for the Blind's marching band was the lead band at the Outback Bowl's New Year's Eve parade on Tuesday. Members also competed in the Outback Bowl marching band competition on Monday.
"We are excited to host this group of talented young people as part of our halftime show and New Year's Eve Parade," Outback Bowl President and CEO Jim McVay said in a statement. "It is a great opportunity to showcase their abilities on a big stage."
Read More | These Are 4 Of The Best Places For Mexican In MinneapolisWe crunched the numbers to find the top Mexican spots around Minneapolis.
Here's 4 Of The Best Inexpensive Bookstores In MinneapolisIf you haven't been to Uncle Hugo's, or Dreamhaven, you're definitely missing out.
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Here Are 5 Of The Best Affordable Cafes In MinneapolisWe crunched the numbers to find the best affordable cafes in Minneapolis.
New Yorkers Say Joey Nova's In Tonka Bay Has Real-Deal New York-Style PizzaThe humble strip mall location is nothing special, but Joey Nova's is nestled along the shores of Lake Minnetonka, near Mound, Wayzata, and Excelsior.
Top Minneapolis Places To Have Brunch On Special OccasionsLooking for a delicious breakfast and brunch meal near you? Here are the best high-end breakfast and brunch restaurants around Minneapolis. | 2.333333 |
A woman was rescued after plummeting 100 feet from a cliff in Rancho Palos Verdes and passersby heard her cries for help from the rocky shoreline below, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received reports of a woman screaming about 8 a.m. Friday. Deputies responded and determined the woman had fallen from a footpath nearly 10 stories above the boulder-strewn beach and was lying just feet from the pounding surf.
Rescue personnel with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the sheriff’s Emergency Services Detail worked to bring the woman to safety.
VIDEO: Palos Verdes, fall from 100’ cliff. #LASD Air Rescue 5 on scene working with @LACoFDPIO ground crews inserting LASD SEB Tactical Medics to conduct a hoist rescue. Patient was treated and airlifted to trauma center. @lacfd pic.twitter.com/EobIvem3YR — SEB (@SEBLASD) December 27, 2019
Video shows a sheriff’s rescue helicopter hovering over the coastline while a specially trained paramedic deputy rappels to the ground. The woman was hoisted up and taken to a local hospital in stable condition, the Sheriff’s Department said. | Police were able to capture a "hostile" chicken in Kentucky on Friday.
The Elizabethtown Police Department shared photos of the suspect bird to Facebook stating the chicken was menacing people at a pharmacy.
"Probably feeding an addiction to corn or grubs or birdseed or whatever the heck chickens eat," police wrote on social media. "Responding officers were pecked viciously by the uncooperative fowl fiend, and he made some adept use of vehicles for cover."
Officers were able to capture the chicken with the use of a milk crate.
"We’re happy to say he was turned over to the custody of someone who can give him more suitable accommodations. We expect our officers to make a full recovery after some doughnut therapy," police added. | 1.333333 |
A lawsuit that accused actor Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting a massage therapist in 2016 ended after the accuser’s estate dropped the case, court documents filed Monday show.
The filing, in Federal District Court in California, said the lawsuit against Spacey, who has faced a series of sexual misconduct allegations, had been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice — meaning it cannot be brought back before the court.
“Mr. Spacey paid no money to the plaintiff,” Jennifer L. Keller, a lawyer for Spacey, said in an email Tuesday night. “The plaintiff wished to dismiss the case and we stipulated to the dismissal to speed things up. What you see in the stipulation is all there is to see. Any reports to the contrary are false.”
(The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday that a “settlement” had prompted the conclusion of the case.)
A lawyer for the estate of the massage therapist, a Los Angeles County man identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
The massage therapist sued Spacey, 60, last January. He accused Spacey of grabbing his hand and putting it on the actor’s genitals during a massage at a home in Malibu, Calif., that had been rented by Spacey’s production company. The lawsuit claimed that Spacey groped and tried to kiss the massage therapist before offering him oral sex.
But the massage therapist died in September at 62, leaving his estate 90 days to take over as the plaintiff in the lawsuit. In November, a California Superior Court judge signed an order appointing the man’s son as the special administrator of his estate.
The case’s conclusion came less than a week after Ari Behn, a Scandinavian writer who had accused Spacey of groping him, died by suicide, according to the Norwegian news service NTB.
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Spacey’s acting career, which includes a pair of Oscars, all but vanished after several people accused him of sexual misconduct.
Massachusetts prosecutors dropped a sexual assault charge against Spacey in July after a young man who had accused the actor of fondling him at a Nantucket restaurant three years earlier, when he was 18, refused to testify about whether he had deleted cellphone evidence. The accuser also withdrew a lawsuit against Spacey six days after filing it.
In another case, Spacey apologized for what he said “would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour” after actor Anthony Rapp made an accusation about his sexual conduct with him 31 years ago, when Rapp was 14.
Director Ridley Scott replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer in “All the Money in the World,” about the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his grandfather’s refusal to pay a $17-million (U.S.) ransom. Scott reshot 22 scenes that Spacey had appeared in with Plummer.
Netflix halted production on “House of Cards” — the series later resumed without Spacey — and abandoned “Gore,” a completed film starring Spacey as Gore Vidal. | A federal lawsuit filed by a massage therapist -- who has since died -- accusing actor Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting him in Malibu three years ago has been dismissed.
Attorneys for the plaintiff's estate filed papers in federal court in Los Angeles Monday stipulating to the dismissal. There was no indication of whether a financial settlement had been reached.
Spacey's attorney, Jennifer L. Keller, told the Los Angeles Times that Spacey "paid no money to 'settle' the lawsuit," despite some media reports to the contrary.
"The plaintiff's estate simply decided to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be (refiled) and we agreed to the dismissal," Keller told the paper.
Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, was sued last year in Los Angeles Superior Court by the masseur, who alleged the actor groped him while he was giving Spacey a private massage in Malibu in 2016. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of "John Doe," was moved to federal court in January.
The therapist alleged in the complaint that Spacey grabbed the plaintiff's hand and pulled it toward his crotch to force a sex act. The lawsuit sought unspecified damages on allegations of sexual battery, gender violence, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff, however, died in September. The lawsuit was subsequently being handled by his estate.
In October, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to file any charges against Spacey over the allegations. Prosecutors said that since the alleged victim had died, the allegations could not be proven without his participation.
Spacey, 60, has been accused by several men of sexual misconduct. In July, sexual assault charges filed against Spacey in Massachusetts involving an 18-year-old man were dropped.
Spacey revealed that he was gay after publicly apologizing in October 2017 to "Star Trek: Discovery" actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of making a sexual advance years ago in his New York apartment, when Spacey was 26 and Rapp was 14. | 4 |
2018: Central Beaverton gets Portland-style food cart cluster
The opening of BG Food Cartel is still a watershed moment in the downtown area's redevelopment.
Editor's note: This story is part of the The Times' special series, "Decade in Review." This series features three stories that helped to define each year of the 2010s. These can retell single stories that captivated readers of the time, a saga that played out across many articles, and even stories that were crowded to the margins by other news at the time but have made a lasting impact on our region.
Where is the largest permanent food cart pod in Oregon?
Of course, it has to be in Portland. The Rose City has been known for its food cart culture for years. Mobile eateries serve up street food for the masses, a fast and cheap alternative to a sit-down restaurant and a locally minded alternative to drive-through fast food. College students love food carts, office workers love food carts, late-night diners love food carts.
Where else could it be than Portland? No other city in Oregon comes close to Portland's size, and after all, Portland is well known for its walkable neighborhoods and eclectic dining scene. Portland is the home of Portland State University, the largest school in the state. Entire city blocks, even, are set aside in Portland for food carts.
The truth: Portland did have the largest food cart pod in Oregon, and probably the second-, third- and fourth-largest food cart pods, too. (We're not sure who keeps track of these things.) But that was before Feb. 2, 2018.
Beaverton has been on a rapid redevelopment pace in its downtown area for years, thanks in large part to the urban renewal plan that city voters OK'd back in 2011. That downtown scene got a lot more downtown-ish in early 2018, as BG Food Cartel officially opened for business across Southwest Millikan Way from the Beaverton Building.
BG Food Cartel has space for 31 food carts. That's a lot, but that's not all. The food cart pod also has an indoor-outdoor bar and public event space. There are green open spaces for children to run around or families to spread out a picnic blanket. There's even a fire pit.
As food cart pods are increasingly threatened by development in Portland, it was important to the people behind BG Food Cartel and city officials in Beaverton that the food cart pod not just camp out on a vacant lot, but have its own defined space. In sum, it's a purpose-built food cart pod, a place where food carts are intended to be and where they won't run the risk of suddenly having to find a new location because someone wants to build a parking garage there.
"BG" isn't an abbreviation; instead, it is a clever nod to the family behind the food cart pod.
The Beaverton City Council officially gave the go-ahead for food carts to come to town in 2015. In 2016, the city held a competition in which it offered up to $25,000 to help create a food cart pod. Dana Biggi, granddaughter of the late Beaverton Foods founder Rose Biggi, submitted the winning bid.
As it happens, BG Food Cartel sits at the corner of Millikan Way and another street: Southwest Rose Biggi Avenue. The Biggi family has owned the property for years, and for years, it sat empty as the Beaverton Building and other developments sprung up on the other side of Millikan Way.
BG Food Cartel didn't have a perfectly smooth opening season. On March 21, 2018, an explosion mangled one of the tenant food carts and sent a woman working inside to the hospital. Investigators said the blast appeared to be accidental, although the food cart pod was briefly closed as a precaution.
Central Beaverton has been increasingly promoted as a dining destination by Mayor Denny Doyle and other civic leaders. "Restaurant Row" features more and more places to dine and drink. An August 2019 headline in The Times declared, "Beaverton has hope for restaurant renaissance," citing BG Food Cartel along with the proliferation of new restaurants as a sign of a changing downtown core.
The food cart pod itself remains an ever-popular lunch spot, including for city employees who work across the street. | To be very clear right up front, this is a list for lovers of lowbrow. While some of the later entries may pass for highbrow, that’s mostly a statement on Hollywood’s lackluster offerings in the lowbrow comedy department of late. (Unfortunately, there are profit motivations to explain this.)
In 2019, we’re forced to suffer through “Long Shot” and “Late Night,” when ten years ago, the yearly options were plentiful. It’s a shame, but thankfully we have the old classics to get us through this sad, sad drought.
2010: ‘The Other Guys’
2011: ‘Bridesmaids,’ ‘Horrible Bosses’
2012: ‘Ted’
2013: ‘This is the End,’ ‘We’re the Millers’
2014: ‘The Other Woman’
2015: ‘Get Hard,’ ‘Trainwreck’
2016: ‘Bad Moms’
2017: ‘The Big Sick,’ ‘The Disaster Artist,’ ‘Death of Stalin’
2018: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
2019: ‘Jojo Rabbit’ | 1 |
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This is the scene of the devastation after a fire destroyed a bedroom on New Year's Eve.
Just a blacked-out hole remains where one of the upstairs windows used to be at the property on Casewell Road, Sneyd Green.
The homeowners today declined to speak to StokeonTrentLive following last night's blaze.
But a Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service vehicle remained parked outside the property this afternoon.
It comes as investigators are yet to reveal what caused the fire which broke out at around 8pm yesterday.
Crews from Hanley, Sandyford and Burslem attended the incident which led to part of the road being cordoned off. No-one was injured.
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With all the 'new year, new me' mantras floating about for the new decade - why not take the plunge and apply for a new job?
There are hundreds of vacancies across Staffordshire, but we've plucked out 20 that almost anyone could apply for today - with little experience needed.
Whether you fancy making coffee, answering the phone, or selling beauty products - you'll find a job in this list that you can apply for.
Intu Potteries
Ann Summers sales assistant
Front of house at Ann Summers in the intu Potteries centre. Applicants need to be over 18 and flexible to work Thursday to Sunday.
For more information, click here.
Security officer for intu
Carrying out regular patrols of the car park and ensuring compliance with all internal procedures and site processes.
To apply, follow this link .
Monsoon Assistant Manager
Monsoon looking for an experienced Assistant Manager to join their busy Hanley Monsoon Accessorize branch.
Apply online here .
Waiting-on staff at Burger Priest
Full time and part time vacancies at one of Hanley's newest eateries with a religious theme.
For more information on the role, click here .
Affinity Outlet
BB’s Team Member
Bakers and Barista's are looking for someone to serve coffee and cake with a smile. Experience isn't essential - so perfect for a first job!
View the job advert here .
Charles Clinkard sales assistant
This footwear store is looking for a part time staff member for a temporary contract until February.
For more information, click here .
Cotton Traders sales assistant
Cotton Traders inside Affinity Outlet are looking for a sales assistant over the age of 18. As well as 50% discount, staff also get a clothing allowance.
Apply online here .
Edinburgh Woollen Mill apprentice
This popular store is offering the opportunity for a candidate to work a 16 hour apprenticeship at Edinburgh Woollen Mill.
For details on how to apply, click here .
Sports Direct sales assistant
Sports Direct are looking for a sales assistant with 'fantastic customer service, commitment, enthusiasm and the flexibility to work weekends and late nights'.
If that sounds like you, click here for more information.
Beauty Outlet store manager
If you're interested in makeup and are 'confident and bubbly', then this Beauty Outlet role could be for you.
Apply for the position here .
Trespass store supervisor
Trespass are on the hunt for a part time supervisor to run the store when the manager is away.
For more information, click here .
Affinity Staffordshire cleaning operative
Get hands on at North Staffordshire's biggest retail park, with no need for previous cleaning experience.
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GAP floor manager
GAP are searching for a sales and team driven floor manager to join the team in Affinity Staffordshire.
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Talke Scents fragrance advisor
This fragrance store are looking for temporary staff for a 12 hour contract. The right candidate should have a minimum of 12 months retail/customer service experience.
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Costa barista
If you've got 'bags of personality' and great with customers, then Costa would love to have you on their Affinity Outlet team.
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Burger King cleaner
Burger King need someone to ensure that areas are 'cleaned to the highest standards at all times'. Cleaning experience is preferred but full training will be provided if necessary.
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Burger King crew member
As well as a cleaner, Burger King are hiring two crew members to join the team in the kitchen.
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Royal Stoke and Stafford County Hospitals
Apprentice Administration Support
Stafford County Hospital are looking for someone to join the Endoscopy team to support with admin on the busy reception desk.
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AdministrationAssistant
Royal Stoke's Urology department are on the hunt for an administrative assistant to join the secretarial team to get their foot in the door of working in the NHS.
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Sleep Receptionist
Join the team in the Sleep and Ventilation clinic at Royal Stoke to work on the reception, taking calls and inputting referrals.
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By
Government education in California is a failure. After several years of Common Core, the results are in: “Their first action was to discover how proficient Stanislaus County children were in reading. They reviewed the California standardized test scores for third graders, an age where students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” They found that only 32% were proficient, a number Tiwater called “abysmal” and far below the state average of 48%. Stanislaus County is 50% lower in reading scores than the rest of the State. But, the whole State of California is at 48%–a total, absolute failure. Who thinks it is not a crisis when less than 50% of our government students are not reading at grade level? Yet, the Democrats run legislature are making it worse by ending charter schools—and that is what they are doing, killing them with regulations and unions. California has so many crisis’ that it is hard to say which is more important. Yet the education of our children is being destroyed by politicians and unions—where is the public outcry? Why are the people in Stanislaus demanding an end to the failed policies? Parents need to speak up.
Only 32% of Stanislaus County third-graders read at grade level. How Stanreads! helps
By ChrisAnna Mink, Modesto Bee, 12/31/19
Like many great love stories, it started with coins in a fountain.
Only this time, the love is for reading, and the fountain is in the foyer at Stanislaus County Office of Education in downtown Modesto.
“It all started with Dee Dee Baker taking the coins from the fountain to donate to the library,” said Lisa Tiwater, SCOE’s assistant superintendent of instruction, while talking about StanReads!, a program to propel county children to read at grade level by third grade.
Baker has since retired, but about five years ago, she was the director of literacy and the SCOE liaison to the Stanislaus County Library.
When Baker took the coins to the library, she learned about the national campaign for grade level reading and was excited to have SCOE join the effort. SCOE joined forces with the Stanislaus Community Foundation.
From there, Stanislaus Reads emerged, which evolved into StanReads!, which is part of the five action teams that make up Stanislaus Cradle-to-Career Partnership.
Their first action was to discover how proficient Stanislaus County children were in reading. They reviewed the California standardized test scores for third graders, an age where students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”
They found that only 32% were proficient, a number Tiwater called “abysmal” and far below the state average of 48%.
StanReads! takes action
Research has shown that reading proficiency at the end of third grade is one of the strongest predictors of high school graduation, as well as success entering the workforce.
Megan Lowery, director of Cradle-to-Career at SCOE, said that though third grade reading is a classroom-based indicator, the group quickly realized that everything that happens in a child’s life, especially early on, impacts what happens in the classroom.
Poverty, lack of access to books and limited parental literacy are among many factors that contribute to low literacy among children, according to the Literacy Foundation.
StanReads! identified schools from eight county districts, including Capistrano Elementary School in Empire, to participate in a pilot program to assess reading obstacles among local kids and to test solutions.
Early actions included trying to curb school absenteeism, maximizing summer learning, understanding kindergarten readiness and getting more books into children’s hands.
Research shows that chronically absent kids in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to be capable readers in third grade and to graduate from high school.
“If they’re not there, we can’t teach them,” Tiwater said.
Chronic absenteeism — missing more than four weeks of the school year — affects about 10% of county pupils across all grades. StanReads! instituted community awareness campaigns about the importance of school attendance and reading to young children.
Meanwhile, over the summer, students lose at least one month of reading ability, called the summer slide. This can be mitigated if kids participate in enrichment activities, so StanReads! took inventory of the county summer programs.
School readiness means that children show up to kindergarten ready to learn, which led to formal assessments of kindergarteners and the start of the StanReady! action team.
“You can’t be an action team without some actions,” said Tiwater. “We have to balance talking and research with doing.”
Applying programs to pilot schools
She said StanReads! took multiple actions at the pilot schools, including the attendance campaign, the Imagination Library, afternoon reading clubs and providing schools with “high interest” books focused on topics more aligned to students’ interests.
One of their first steps was offering families enrollment into Imagination Library, a national nonprofit that promotes literacy. Once a month, children ages zero to 5 are mailed books at no cost to families. Participation is funded by the Stanislaus Community Foundation and other philanthropic groups, including the Modesto Rotary Club.
“The mailman brings them to us, so every day we check the mail to see if there’s more books,” said Forest Arnold, a second grader at Capistrano in Empire.
Forest and his rambunctious 5-year-old brother, Eric Von Hudson, were eager to talk about their favorite books, including “Violet the Pilot,” about a little girl who draws instructions to build and fly a plane.
Eric said his mom reads to him every day, and Forest proudly said, “I read myself.”
Capistrano Elementary became one of the pilot schools in 2016-17, the second year of StanReads!.
“They immediately offered me more books,” said Principal James Jensen. He harvests any resources that he can to get books for his students.
Nearly all Capistrano students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch, about two-thirds are Latino/Hispanic, and 1 in 5 are English learners.
About 40% of their students read at grade level, which is above the Stanislaus County average, but still below the state average. The county’s 32% is in line with Merced and Madera counties, but behind Alameda, Fresno and Sacramento.
Stanislaus County Library’s role
“Reading and literacy is what we do,” said Annie Snell, supervising librarian of youth services outreach and a facilitator for the StanReads! team.
She said parent engagement is one of the library’s concerted efforts with StanReads!, because some parents don’t know the importance of reading to their children. They also help families sign up for library cards.
The library opened “pop-up” libraries at locations where parents and kids visited, such as the county’s Women Infant and Children (WIC) office at Hackett Road.
They also helped place and stock Little Free Libraries filled with gently used books on each pilot schools’ campus, as well as other neighborhood locations. At the birdhouse-shaped structures, anyone can take a free book, and if they can, leave a book.
Lowery said that over the past four years, they’ve seen an increase of 12% of third graders reading at grade level, though they aren’t sure which actions were most effective.
StanReads! and Cradle-to-Career are trying to discover which actions are most valuable, and affordable, to scale up across the county.
Something seems to be working.
That was evident recently at the Capistrano school library, which was full of children enthralled with the story being read by the librarian.
“If the community can get behind anything related to StanReads!, it’s a plus,” said Principal Jensen. “Bring in books. Donate to schools. Volunteer to read to kids in school. We need to do everything we can to get books in the kids’ hands.”
Even if it’s simply tossing coins into a fountain.
Cradle-to-Career is hosting a Community Summit on March 13, 2020, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Modesto Centre Plaza.
For more information or to volunteer with the partnership, visit: https://www.stancoe.org/division/administrative-services/cradle-career
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. | MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A southeastern Michigan police officer is credited with pushing two people out of the path of a suspected drunken motorist who nearly slammed into them and then fled the scene.
Monroe police said the officer had pulled over a vehicle early Sunday along the city’s Telegraph Road when an SUV came barreling toward the back of his police cruiser.
The officer quickly pushed two people over the roadway’s guardrail to prevent them from being hit, Monroe Police Capt. Jon Wall told WDIV-TV.
“He heard what sounded like a car slamming on its brakes, which was squealing the tires, which alerted him to look into that particular direction,” Wall said.
The SUV went up on a sidewalk before its driver put it in reverse and fled the scene. Police pursued the SUV and soon arrested the motorist.
Walls said the suspect is facing several charges, including fleeing, resisting and obstructing. | 1 |
WASHINGTON—When Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break, lawmakers will have just three weeks to come up with a detailed agreement on funding for more than a dozen federal agencies, or risk a government shutdown days before Christmas for the second year in a row.
To help negotiate a path forward, the administration is deploying Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), according to two administration officials. It is an unusual remit: Past Treasury secretaries have played... | Preface
Many Americans are disgusted and concerned about the dysfunction and abysmal results from Washington, D.C., and so are we. However, this paper is not about adding to the depressing national dialog about politics, but about how to change the system by taking action that will work.
Too many people—including many pundits, political scientists, and politicians themselves—are laboring under a misimpression that our political problems are inevitable, or the result of a weakening of the parties, or due to the parties’ ideological incoherence, or because of an increasingly polarized American public. Those who focus on these reasons are looking in the wrong places. The result is that despite all the commentary and attention on politics in recent years, there is still no accepted strategy to reform the system and things keep getting worse.
We need a new approach. Our political problems are not due to a single cause, but rather to a failure of the nature of the political competition that has been created. This is a systems problem.
We are not political scientists, political insiders, or political experts. Instead, we bring a new analytical lens to understanding the performance of our political system: the lens of industry competition. This type of analysis has been used for decades to understand competition in other industries, and sheds new light on the failure of politics because politics in America has become, over the last several decades, a major industry that works like other industries.
We use this lens to put forth an investment thesis for political reform and innovation. What would be required to actually change the political outcomes we are experiencing? What would it take to better align the political system with the public interest and make progress on the nation’s problems? And, which of the many political reform and innovation ideas that have been proposed would actually alter the trajectory of the system?
Politics in America is not a hopeless problem, though it is easy to feel this way given what we experience and read about every day. There are promising reforms already gaining traction including important elements of the strategy we propose. It is up to us as citizens to recapture our democracy—it will not be self-correcting. We invite you to personally engage by investing both your time and resources—and by mobilizing those around you—in what we believe is the greatest challenge facing America today.
It is often said that “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”1 Today the challenge for Americans is to participate not only as voters, but also to participate in the reform of the political system itself. This is our democracy, and the need is urgent.
This report is about politics, but it is not political. The problem is not Democrats or Republicans or the existence of parties per se. The problem is not individual politicians; most who seek and hold public office are genuinely seeking to make a positive contribution. The real problem is the nature of competition in the politics industry.
Katherine M. Gehl & Michael E. Porter | 1.5 |
Continuing a 29-year unbroken practice, India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral arrangement that prohibits them from attacking each other's atomic facilities.
The two countries exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations between India and Pakistan, the External Affairs Ministry said. This was done simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad.
The exchange of the list came amid tense diplomatic ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue.
The agreement was signed on December 31, 1988 and came into force on January 27, 1991.
The pact mandates the two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.
This is the 29th consecutive exchange of the list with the first one taking place on January 1, 1992. | New Delhi (Sputnik): Despite downgrading diplomatic relations in the aftermath of a "unilateral decision" by the Indian Parliament to revoke the disputed Kashmir region's special status last August, arch-rivals India and Pakistan have continued to fulfill their formal obligations under bilateral agreements.
India and Pakistan have exchanged lists for their nuclear facilities in accordance with a 1988 agreement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
“India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan", the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
It is the 29th time since 1992 New Delhi and Islamabad have exchanged lists of their nuclear facilities.
The aforementioned agreement was signed on 31 December 1988 and entered into force on 27 January 1991. It states that the two countries must inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.
Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons and, along with Israel and South Sudan, they are not parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Last year, when relations between the two south Asian countries reached a nadir, leaders from Pakistan threatened India with nuclear attack while Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also announced his country might consider changing its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with a “no first use policy” in the future.
Indian Army Chief MM Naravane on Tuesday also emphasised that If Pakistan does not stop "its policy of state-sponsored terrorism", India reserves the right to preemptively strike at the sources of the terror threat.
"This intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation", the Naravane said.
In the midst of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019, Pakistan recalled its diplomat and also sent back India’s representative from Islamabad.
The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government raised the issue at every international forum, giving a clarion call to the world leaders to intervene for the benefit of the region. | 3.666667 |
It is human nature to set goals and priorities, and the pull to do so feels particularly powerful this year. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)
Columnist
Once, while driving through Long Island and singing with little restraint to Guns N’ Roses, two teenagers pulled alongside my car at a stoplight.
They motioned for me to roll down my window. I did, expecting them to ask directions or what song was causing me to make those facial expressions.
Instead, they said, “If you could do anything in this world, what would it be?”
At the time, I was a journalist in my 20s covering crime, and one of the most depressing parts of my job came when I stood in under-resourced neighborhoods, in front of parents who hadn’t yet buried their children, and they didn’t have one publishable photo of that young person to hand me.
Of course, at that stoplight, I didn’t have time to say any of that. Feeling the pressure of a red light about to turn green, I didn’t have the luxury of mulling, overanalyzing or second-guessing.
I blurted out, “Help more kids get out of poverty.”
“Cool,” they said. Then the light changed, and they drove off.
[A 5-year-old wanted a birthday party. A 6-year-old needed school uniforms. Both were among the wishes this Virginia group granted.]
I don’t know if those teenagers were working on some class assignment or if they were unusually introspective, but that interaction remains one of the weirdest and most powerful ones I’ve had with strangers (and I’ve had some extremely weird and powerful ones). I am by nature a muller, an over-analyzer and a second-guesser. I am that person who can look at two black sweaters and before buying one, exhaust myself with calculations of price vs. practicality vs. durability vs. the question of do I even need another black sweater.
If I had been given time to think about that question, I would have probably answered differently. But the situation forced me to push aside the clutter in my mind and pick a priority. It was a Marie Kondo for the soul moment long before I had heard of Marie Kondo.
As we enter 2020, in a way we are all sitting in that car, trying to figure out what matters most. It is human nature to set goals and priorities, and the pull to do so feels particularly powerful this year. Maybe that’s because last year was so draining and divisive. Or maybe that’s because we are entering a new decade and that always feels full of promise and possibilities.
For some of us, the new year might see us making a phone call we have been avoiding. For others, it might push us to give up alcohol, join a gym or start searching for a new career.
When I think about my list of hopes and plans for 2020, they can be broken down into two categories: the thought-out version and the stoplight one.
When I spend time shaping my resolutions, I see the blue ThredUP bags in my closet that I have been meaning to fill with neglected dresses, pants and shirts. A few years ago, I decided to limit most of my clothes shopping for my kids and myself to secondhand items, and I have no regrets. It’s been financially and environmentally a win. In December, when the 5-year-old complained that his size-4T jacket was too tight, I quickly found him a size-6 J. Crew jacket for $20.
But I have been less successful at clearing out the items we no longer need. One of my personal vows is that by 2021, those clothes will be cleared from our closets and drawers and passed onto people who will use them.
The most optimistic version of me also has plans this year to use less plastic, call my parents more and make my health as much of a priority as I do the health of my kids.
All of those things are important to me. They are also not what I would offer as my main priority if we only had those moments between the blink of a red light and a green one to talk.
That one, surprisingly, remains the same as the one I blurted out years ago.
In this column, I try to cover a wide range of topics that take you to places and introduce you to people you might not encounter otherwise. I feel grateful to have this platform, and I plan to use it more this year to explore ways we can help propel children who have the fewest resources toward success. I hope, with your help, to highlight solutions that are working, expose the ways children are still being failed and raise questions that for too long have gone unanswered, because politics isn’t the only divide that should concern us in Washington. We know based on what the past few years alone have shown us that the prospects for many children in the region are not improving and in some ways are getting worse, despite good intentions and financial investments.
We know, based on an article that ran in The Washington Post this week, that efforts by Maryland’s largest school system in recent years to close the achievement gaps between black and Latino children and their white and Asian counterparts have failed to make much of a difference. Latino students in Montgomery County’s schools, according to that article, are 11 times as likely as their Asian peers to drop out of high school.
We know, based on other reports, that in 2019, a dozen school-age children and teenagers were shot or stabbed to death during a record year of homicides in the District. One of those was Maurice Scott, a 15-year-old whose face was memorialized on a mural that covers one side of a corner store where he was shot in the head by a bullet that wasn’t meant for him. That mural marks the spot where D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) offered a $25,000 reward for information about who killed him and where his twin sister stood, without him, on her first day of 10th grade.
[She and her twin were inseparable. Then a gunman tore the 15-year-olds apart.]
We also know that sometimes solutions come from people just asking the right questions.
On Thursday, the District is supposed to start shuttling homeless families who live at two hotels on New York Avenue NE to the two closest Metro stations so that those children can get to and from school safely and in a timely manner. That came about because an organization asked those families about their needs, advocated for them and reached out to city officials, who listened and responded.
In 2020, I hope that those children take advantage of that shuttle and that more of them make it to school on time.
I hope less children become faces on murals they won’t see.
And I hope more teenagers force adults around them to stop and think about what’s really important, if only for that short time it takes for a light to turn green. | The 2020 oil risk nobody is talking about
One New Year’s resolution to make: Do not take the price of oil for granted.
As we head into a new decade, complacency about the low price of oil is running rampant. This complacency is dangerous because it may catch U.S. businesses by surprise if oil were to experience a sharp upward move. Potentially this could cause a shock to the U.S. economy, mainly because we are not prepared for it and are not taking protection seriously.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % USO UNITED STATES OIL FUND L.P. 12.81 -0.08 -0.62%
There are reasons why many people do not fear higher oil prices in 2020 or in the years ahead. Some point to record U.S. oil production, which averaged 12.3 million barrels a day in 2019. Others point to a potential end to the OPEC, Russia and another producer alliance that led the group to reduce global supply by 2 percent by taking 1.2 million barrels per day off the market for the first six months of 2019. Others are predicting that global oil demand in the new year will fall due to alternative fuel usage and we may be seeing the beginning of a global peak for oil demand by the end of this new decade.
Despite this perception of slowing demand, crude prices are quietly having the best year since 2016. And while prices for oil are down from the highs we have seen in recent years, the outlook going forward is still quite impressive. Even though we have seen a surge in electric cars and a push for alternatives, oil demand globally in 2019 hit a record high. Even amid the U.S.-China trade war, China imported and consumed a record amount of oil.
U.S. energy production hit records last year and should again in 2020. Yet most are not paying attention to the warning signs that U.S. production might peak this year. For example, the U.S. oil rig count rang out the old year with the first drop since 2016. The drop is a potential precursor to a production plateau. Baker Hughes released its final rig count for the year and decade, and it ended on a cautionary note. They reported that total oil and gas rig count is down 26 percent from a year ago at 278 rigs. Oil rigs fell by eight per week and gas rigs held steady at 125.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % UNG UNITED STATES NATURAL GAS FUND LP UNIT (POST REV SPLIT) 16.86 -0.04 -0.24%
This reflects the largest issue of pain in the oil patch. Fifty energy companies filed for bankruptcy during the first nine months of 2019, including 33 oil and gas producers, 15 oilfield services companies and two midstream companies, according to Haynes and Boone’s Energy and Restructuring Practice Group. Overall investment in energy and oil has plunged so expectations that U.S. oil production will easily meet demand and cover risk factors are too optimistic.
There is no doubt that electric cars are going to be a part of the energy mix in the future. The thought that we can replace the internal combustion engine with electric cars is ludicrous. While many think electric cars are environmentally clean, the reality is that for every source of energy, there is a potential environmental downside. Just think about the mining of lithium and cobalt and the production of energy it is going to take to make and supply batteries. Then, stop and think about what it is going to take to charge up those millions of electric cars. Try to fathom the impact on the power grid not just here in the U.S. but in the developing world where most of the auto demand growth will happen.
Oil prices also seem immune to geo-political risk at this time. In September, there was an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Yet the quick recovery of production and the fact that the Saudis seemed not to retaliate gave the market a false sense of geopolitical event invincibility. While this event did not cause a long-term price concern, there are signs that the risks to supply have not gone away. This week the U.S. carried out airstrikes against Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups in Iraq and Syria, which in turn was met with protests in Bagdad.
Even so, President Trump stood firm and blamed Iran for the unrest in Iraq.
The situation in Venezuela is also a geopolitical risk not to mention the old standby worries about North Korea.
All of this comes as we head into 2020 on a wave of economic optimism. Not only did the recession that many predicted last year not happen, but it also appears that the global economy will get a boost of growth as the U.S. and China work out their trade differences with the phase one agreement expected to be signed at the White House on January 15.
This wave of economic growth should cause oil demand to surge in 2020. That should lead to a much tighter physical market.
So get prepared for potentially higher prices in 2020.
Fox | 1.333333 |
New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS) Bringing relief to people, the cold wave in north India including the Delhi NCR region seems to have abated for the moment with day temperatures rising on New Year's Day and touching almost 20 degrees Celsius in Delhi.
According to the India Meteorological Department, day temperatures have risen by 3-7 degrees Celsius over most parts of the northern plains of India, while Delhi has seen a rise of 5-6 degrees Celsius over Tuesday. | New Delhi [India], Jan 1 (ANI): The minimum temperature in the national capital has shown an increase by 5 to 6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday as compared to the previous day, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The day temperature recorded in Safdarjung today was 20.2 degrees Celsius, while it was 18.4 degrees Celsius in Palam and 19.2 degrees Celsius in Aya Nagar.
The day temperatures have risen by 3 to 7 degrees Celsius over most parts of northern plains in the country.
The day temperature recorded in Amritsar today was 13.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 17 degrees Celsius in Ludhiana in Punjab.
The day temperature in Churu was 19.6 degrees Celsius, while it was 17.8 degrees Celsius in Jaipur and 18.4 degrees Celsius in Kota in Rajasthan.
The day temperature recorded in Chandigarh was 19 degrees Celsius today, while it was 17.8 degrees Celsius in Ambala and 16.4 degrees Celsius in Hisar in Haryana.
Meerut recorded a day temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius, while it was 20.2 degrees Celsius in Lucknow and 20.6 degrees Celsius in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The IMD has predicted that there will be no more cold wave in Delhi till January 4 and there might be a further rise in temperatures.
Delhi will, however, continue to reel under cold weather conditions throughout the day, as predicted by the weather agency.
The city is likely to receive light rains and the sky will generally remain cloudy in the next week. (ANI) | 4 |
A person has died after being struck by a train at Dunmurry in Belfast.
The tracks have been closed in both directions as police examine the area.
#TRAIN #TragicIncident the line between Lisburn and Great Victoria Street the line remains closed. A bus sub is in place between Lisburn and Great Victoria Street. For more info click here https://t.co/wAtZTh4lku Get live info for your train journey online https://t.co/aR2y8ADST6 — Translink (@Translink_NI) 31 December 2019
Translink reported disruption to trains on its Bangor to Portadown railway line following a “tragic incident”.
PSNI officers carry lights as they attend Dunmurry railway station in west Belfast, Northern Ireland, where a person died after being struck by a train. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Translink tweeted: “Due to a tragic incident at Dunmurry please allow for delays/disruption to trains on the Bangor to Portadown line”. – PA | Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from belfastlive - daily Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A Northern Ireland man has found himself at the receiving end of a bit of Matt Lucas humour after giving the Les Mis actor a bum review by accident, after seeing the West End show.
Ciaran Campbell, 32, has seen the world-famous production a number of times and said he is quite a fan of the Little Britain star's portrayal of Thernadiér.
"It's very him... lots of new one liners in it for him," he said.
But when Ciaran took to Twitter to share his praise of the show, a missed word gave quite the opposite impression.
He wrote "stunning performances from all at today's @lesmieserables performance at #Sondheim Theatre... Big wow wee to @BradleyJaden as #Javert and once again @RealMattLucas fails to entertain!"
Ciaran was on his way back to Belfast from London when, completely unaware of his slip, he noticed his tweet about the West End show was getting quite a bit of traction online.
Matt Lucas had retweeted the post saying: "I really really hope he missed a word out by mistake."
Ciaran told Belfast Live: "I was on the airport flying back to Belfast when I noticed quite a few comments, I wondered how and it was because he quoted and shared it.
"I immediately re-wrote the tweet and apologized.
"It was all in good humour and taste - all of it! He knows I'm a fan of his Thernadiér."
The Dungannon, Co Tyrone man has since corrected the error with a new tweet saying what he meant to in the first place.
For more of today's top stories in Belfast and beyond, click here.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play . | 1.333333 |
Not yet dire, but frightening to birders and researchers alike.
As Wes Biggs tells it, a Baltimore oriole flew onto his family’s front porch and landed on his bassinet when he was only 6 months old. Captivated, he became a lifelong birdwatcher.
Over the 71 years since then, like thousands of other longtime birders across the continent, Biggs has seen and helped document dramatic change.
Bald eagles surged back from the brink of extinction. Many duck species rebounded. But a host of other species — including sparrows, meadowlark and quail — declined at an alarming rate.
“You’re just not seeing thousands and thousands of birds anymore, and certainly not as often as you used to,” said Biggs of Sebring, Florida, owner of Florida Nature Tours.
Two major research projects released this fall brought into perspective what individual birdwatchers like Biggs have noticed, while raising concerns about the future and the need for additional conservation measures. A USA TODAY Network analysis of the studies and their data showed the loss of birds touches every U.S. state in North America.
The first of the studies, dubbed the “Billion Birds” report [at https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/bring-birds-back] and published in the journal “Science” in September, concluded 2.9 billion birds have vanished across North America since 1970, a decline of roughly 30%. It added to a growing body of work over the past couple of years documenting those losses.
The results surprised even the study’s lead author, Ken Rosenberg, a Cornell University scientist who also holds a position with the American Bird Conservancy.
Rosenberg used to tell birdwatchers the birds they were no longer seeing had probably moved on “somewhere else.” But the study proved otherwise, he said, showing in many cases bird populations had just plummeted.
While that doesn’t mean a bird “apocalypse” is underway, if conservation measures aren’t taken, Rosenberg said, the situation could “slide toward a bigger crisis, toward ecological unraveling of ecosystems.”
Another major report weeks later delivered a second punch. Using models and much of the same data, the report by the National Audubon Society [at https://www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees] provided a grim forecast of the potential impacts of warming temperatures on 600 bird species in North America.
“If we don’t take action, nearly two-thirds of North America’s birds face extinction as a result of climate change,” said Julie Wraithmell, president of Audubon Florida. If action is taken, she added, “we can change the fate of three-quarters of those birds.”
Casting blame
The widespread losses in bird populations could have far-reaching implications for ecosystems and economies, said Marianne Korosy, Audubon Florida’s director of bird conservation.
Birds are both prey and predator, serve as nature’s pest control, share roles with bees in plant pollination and help to maintain genetic diversity by spreading seeds around, Korosy said. Also, the federal government estimates birdwatchers contribute $41 billion a year to the nation’s economy.
The study by Rosenberg and his co-authors at wildlife agencies and research centers in the U.S. and Canada didn’t specifically analyze the causes behind the declining bird populations. He said that can be hard to pin down given the array of threats birds face and the vast distances they travel during migration. But previous studies indicate habitat loss is the primary threat.
As a group, grassland birds such as meadowlarks and quail suffered the biggest overall declines, the Billion Birds report showed.
In the Midwest, the single biggest factor is habitat loss, said Neal Niemuth, an integrated conservation scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bismarck, North Dakota. He points, for example, to the conversion of cattle grazing lands, which protect the birds’ natural habitat, to much more intensively farmed corn fields.
Other factors include feral cats, climate change and pesticides that kill insects birds need to live and raise their young.
“You can’t just pin it on one thing,” said Biggs, but human population growth has its own impacts. While bird populations have dwindled, the nation’s population has doubled over Biggs’ lifetime and Florida’s population is seven times greater.
“I hate having a doomsday attitude,” said Biggs. “But looking at the whole situation, it’s pretty horrific.”
Bird populations have fallen in each of the 49 U.S. states in North America, according to the USA TODAY Network analysis of state data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey [at https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs].
A joint project with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Breeding Bird Survey dates to the 1960s and was the primary source of data for the Billion Birds report. Geological Survey scientists consider the long-term data available in the survey scientifically credible for 334 species, around a third of all the species with documented sightings in the U.S. and Canada.
In 39 states, more than half those species have shown declines.
Audubon examined how birds would fare under three climate change scenarios: one in which temperatures warmed by slightly less than 3 degrees Fahrenheit; another in which they warmed by nearly 4 degrees; and a third where they rose by more than 5 degrees in the coming decades.
Using climate modeling, Audubon studied how the risks birds face — including habitat conversion, extreme weather and sea level rise — could change and how that would affect birds in each state. Under the higher, unmitigated increase in warming over the next 65 years, the study concluded 97% of species could be affected by two or more climate-related threats.
Under the scenario of slightly less than 3 degrees warming within the next 35 years, at least 51 of the 600 species Audubon examined faced a high risk of either being wiped out or seeing a worsening trend.
In Delaware, an average temperature increase of 2.7 degrees by 2055 could wipe out or cause a worsening trend in two bird species in part or all of their range. The list includes the Henslow's sparrow and least tern.
The studies shocked Father Tom Pincelli, a Catholic priest in Brownsville, Texas, and a birdwatcher for 47 years. The Billion Birds report “kind of took my breath away,” Pincelli said. “The number was larger than I thought.”
‘Eyes of the world’
Birdwatchers can be a quirky bunch, toting high-end binoculars and telescopes and randomly dropping conversations when distracted by a bird. But the compulsive listing of birds they see has helped amass mountains of data scientists now use to document changing bird populations.
“It’s really amazing we have such a wealth of data,” said Brooke Bateman, an Audubon senior scientist and lead author of the climate report.
Much of the information used in both studies came from data collected by birdwatchers, including the Breeding Bird Survey and Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count [at https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count].
The 120th Christmas count began Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 5. Nearly 80,000 people participated in last year’s count.
“There’s this incredible collaboration between the scientists and the birdwatchers, and it really doesn’t exist with other animals and other sciences,” Rosenberg said. “Birders are the eyes of the world.”
Bill Volkert, a naturalist and wildlife educator, has birded the same areas around Horicon Marsh in eastern Wisconsin for more than 35 years. He sees wild turkeys and Canada geese more often than he used to, but the song of the whip-poor-will “is gone.”
“A lot of times, we just look at birds in our backyards and as long as birds are showing up, it’s really hard to extrapolate what’s happening to the [overall] population,” he said.
In North America and elsewhere, climate change will be a “threat multiplier,” said Audubon’s Bateman. Some birds already have shifted their ranges northward, she said, while warmer temperatures are forecast to trigger other impacts such as longer droughts and more intense hurricanes.
Birders have documented many changes after the string of hurricane landfalls in recent years. In Ormond Beach, Florida, for example, Meret Wilson, who operates a bird-banding project, said things still haven’t returned to what they were before two major hurricanes — Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017 — heavily damaged trees in the region.
‘Before it’s too late’
Going forward, both bird studies underscore the need to help birds be more resilient, said Nick Wiley, chief operations officer for Ducks Unlimited and former executive director of Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He said he was excited about the emphasis the Billion Birds report put on conservation needs and successes.
Conservation measures do work, said Rosenberg. For example, raptors such as bald eagles benefited from the 1972 ban on the use of the insecticide DDT in the U.S. And, he said, a more than 50% increase in the population of 41 species of waterfowl was a result of “a conscientious effort to save habitat.”
Ducks Unlimited grew out of hunters’ recognition of low population levels of waterfowl in the early part of the 20th century, Rosenberg said. To protect those birds, nonprofits and state and federal governments worked to acquire and protect wetland habitats. A federal duck stamp purchased by duck hunters has helped funnel millions into wetland preservation.
Similar efforts are needed to continue protecting ducks and to preserve grassland birds, said Wiley. But, he added, it’s expensive and takes groups working together.
Federal government programs to help landowners keep their land in grass or return it to grass have been “a huge, huge boon to grassland birds,” Niemuth said. But the available money isn’t enough to match landowner interest.
Volkert, the retired wildlife educator, sees the need for conservation as a bipartisan issue.
“For millions of people who love birds and love nature, it’s time for our group to raise our voices for birds,” he said. “The alarm we want to sound is for people to pay attention to the loss of these common birds now before it’s too late, while we can do something.”
See also: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/19/3-billion-fewer-birds-north-america-now-than-1970/2365747001/ | 1.333333 | |
The protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continued unabated on Wednesday, the first day of 2020, in Assam, with students of Cotton University in Guwahati staging a sit-in.
“This is not the time to celebrate. We are in a crisis and we are here to express our opposition to the CAA, which is against the indigenous people of the state and the northeast. We will continue to oppose until the act is repealed,” said a student.
In Guwahati Club rotary, people from different walks of life gathered to demonstrate against the newly amended law that has triggered Opposition across India.
“We are having a tough time. We are facing a crisis for our identity and motherland. We want to clarify this fight is not against any religion or Bengalis. This is to protect our identity. I pray for a peaceful 2020 without the CAA,” said popular Assamese actress Barasha Rani Bishoya taking part in the protest.
Similarly, several protest rallies were taken out across the state.
The prevailing situation in Assam marred new year celebrations as well. Even hotels and clubs had to cut down their midnight celebrations in Guwahati.
The picnic spots, normally packed on the first day of the year and during the season, were also empty.
“Here, on the new year day, we usually have over a hundred buses with the revellers for picnic and fun. But today, we don't even have 10 vehicles. It indicates the situation of the state. We all oppose the CAA. I hope the government pays heed to the demand of the public,” said Himangshu Barman, a local near Deepor Beel in the outskirts of Guwahati, where people gather for picnics.
Mumbai-based Assamese actor, supermodel and entrepreneur Dipannita Sharma said she was hopeful of winning the current battle in 2020.
“After the current turmoil, I hope 2020 brings peace to Assam and we win the battle, which we are so obviously fighting. I pray the rest of the country sees the Assamese point of view, empathises with us, understands our struggles and why our fight is just a little different from the rest of the country. I hope we can stand together in these trying times, as Assamese Indians, for Assam, for NE, for India,” Sharma told Outlook.
The CAA, which endorses citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from the neighbouring countries, has been vehemently opposed in the region, already plagued by the infiltration.
Though the opposition to the CAA in the rest of the country is due to the exclusion of Muslims and Tamils, in Assam and NE states, people oppose the new law, for the fear that they would lose their culture, language and identity if migrants from Bangladesh were given citizenship.
Most of the organizations in Assam accept the cut-off year of 1971 as per Assam Accords, but the CAA’s cut off year is 2014. | Every citizenship application will be scrutinized, Sarbanand Sonowal said (File)
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday reiterated that the state's interests will be kept in mind when the rules of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are framed. He assured that constitutional safeguards will be provided to the indigenous people of the north-eastern state.
"No one needs to be uncertain about CAA, since it's a national act; and in this law we are trying to see that the interests of Assam remains protected. That's why when being asked we have already sent our suggestion and advice to the centre on the rules that would be framed," Mr Sonowal told reporters in Guwahati on Wednesday, when he met them in a rare interaction.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act makes religion the test of citizenship for the first time. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated neighbouring nations - Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan - to get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution.
Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.
Violent protests had broken out in several parts of the country after the law was passed in parliament last month.
"On what ground would we give validity to foreigners here. After we took charge we gave importance to the Assam accord implementation department. We gave awards, financial assistance and memorials for the martyrs of the Assam agitation. We have planned how to safeguard the rights of the people of Assam. We are sure we will give constitutional safeguards to the people of Assam. Even in CAA, we have sent our suggestions to centre on CAA. No new Bangladeshi would be allowed to come - the rule is clear. It only gives citizenship to refugees who have been there for decades. And every application will be scrutinized," Mr Sonowal added.
Protests in Assam, meanwhile, have continued despite assurances from Mr Sonowal.
Many among Assam's indigenous population want immigration blocked saying they have been reduced to a minority in the state.
"One fact is clear that people of Assam no longer are with CM Sonowal. What he is saying is not correct. He has the support of Bangladeshis, whom he wants to give Indian citizenship," Palash Changmai, President of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parisad, said. | 3.666667 |
A new police tactic in which plain-clothes officers watch how people react to uniformed colleagues has led to a number of arrests in Belfast.
Project Servator uses non-uniformed officers who observe people’s behavior when they encounter a visible police patrol.
Their aim is to spot individuals who act suspiciously when they see police nearby, perhaps by attempting to hide or make off at pace in the other direction.
Servator, the Latin for “watcher”, was trialled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) throughout 2019, including during the Open Championship golf tournament at Portrush in July and a six-week deployment in Belfast city centre in the lead-up to Christmas.
The Servator team was on the ground 70 times in Belfast from November 17th to December 28th, patrolling shopping areas across the city and the main transport hubs.
During that time it made nine arrests, reported three people for summons, issued four Community Resolution Notices and dealt with more than 150 other individuals by other means, such as by issuing advice or engaging in conversation.
Several drugs seizures were made as a result of the deployments and the arrests included two suspected members of a city centre pick-pocketing gang.
Servator was first developed by the City of London police in 2014 and has since been adopted by 23 other forces across the UK.
Superintendent Pat Foy, the PSNI’s strategic lead for the project, said the success of Servator was its unpredictability.
“The plain-clothes officers are specially trained, they know the tell-tale signs, they know when someone is trying to avoid police,” she said.
“So it’s about providing that police presence but with the plain-clothed officers working alongside and what that would look like on the ground is that the plain-clothed officers would see these tell-tale signs, inform their uniformed colleagues, and then we would exercise our stop and search powers and conduct a stop and search.”
Ms Foy said the feedback from the public and business community had been “very positive”.
“Over the course of the six weeks the team visited the Christmas markets, shops, cafes and licensed premises to offer reassurance and advice on keeping staff and customers safe,” she said.
“Officers engaged with council workers, post workers, security staff, street performers and members of the public who all played an important role in helping us keep people safe by being our eyes and ears and reporting suspicious activity and we’re grateful for their support.”
It is anticipated that the dedicated Servator team will conduct patrols in towns and cities across Northern Ireland in 2020. | Someone in WA will be absolutely loving 2020 after taking out division one on the first day of the year, and the agent who sold the winning ticket is buzzing too after a tough 2019.
The winning ticket was sold in Carramar, in Perth’s north, ahead of Wednesday night’s draw, matching numbers 23, 24, 37, 25, 20 and 43.
The ticket was worth a cool $1 million.
NewsXpress Carramar owner Ray Pigdon said it was the best change of fortune coming off the back of a tough 2019.
“2020 has been a perfect start,” he said.
“Given we had a ram raid at our store last year, it’s nice to start this year with the first division one prize of 2020.
“I’m hoping the ticket has been sold to one of our regulars who have stuck with us.”
Play Video A WA Police spokesperson said the incident was still being investigated and anyone who witnessed the crash can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The West Australian Video A WA Police spokesperson said the incident was still being investigated and anyone who witnessed the crash can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Mr Pigdon’s store was among those damaged when a ute was rammed through the front doors of Carramar Village shortly after 4am on June 6.
The ute had allegedly been stolen and two people fled the scene.
“They have ram raided the centre front-on, then done a three-point turn and reversed into the shop taking out everything in their path,” Mr Pigdon’s wife Julie told Community News at the time
“They’ve smashed through our roller shutters and all our stock at the front as well as glass shelving and cabinets.”
She said thieves had taken a safe containing cash, scratchies and stamps. | 1 |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Catholic Health has welcomed its first baby of 2020.
Eden Rose Sadler was born at Sisters of Charity Hospital at 1:35 a.m. She weighs six pounds and 13.2 oz, and is 18.78 inches long.
She and her mother, Julia, are doing well.
This year, all first-born babies at Catholic Health’s maternity hospitals (Sisters of Charity Hospital Main Campus, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Mercy Hospital of South Buffalo) were girls.
We will share a photo of baby Eden when it’s available! | BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Two vehicles, including a Buffalo police SUV, were involved in a crash early Wednesday morning.
It happened around 1:20 a.m. at Hertel Ave. and Tonawanda St.
Officers had been responding to a call of shots fired when the patrol vehicle was struck by another vehicle, causing it to roll over.
The two officers in the patrol vehicle were treated for minor injuries at ECMC.
No charges have been filed as of Wednesday morning. | 1.666667 |
By Robert Egbe
A hip hop artist, Adeyemi Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, is negotiating an out-of-court settlement in the alleged car theft case filed against him and three others by the Police.
The Nation learnt that talks between Marley’s lawyer and lawyers representing the complainant in the case, Mr Adelekan Ademola, are at an advanced stage.
If successful, the charges against the four defendants may be dropped at the next hearing of the case on January 14.
Marley’s two brothers Idris Fashola, 18; Babatunde Fashola, 24; and their cousin, Kunle Obere, 22, are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, assault and obstructing the police from arresting Marley.
They were arraigned by the Police on December 16, before Chief Magistrate Tajudeen Elias of a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, but Marley, the fourth defendant, was The court granted the trio N500,000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum.
Chief Magistrate Elias ordered the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) to produce Marley in court on December 31, 2019 so he can take his plea.
Following his failure to honour the court date and pleas for another chance by his counsel, Mr Awokulehin Ayodeji, Mr Elias threatened to order the artiste’s arrest if he didn’t show up on the next adjourned date of January 14.
Speaking to The Nation afterwards, Mr Ayodeji said settlement talks were ongoing.
“We hope that an agreement will be reached before the next adjourned date,” he said.
According to the lawyer, the Police were not against a peaceful resolution of the matter.
Ayodeji said: “The police have no problem with an out of court settlement.”
At the their arraignment on December 16, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Edet Okoi told the court that the defendants committed the offence on December 15, at Eko Hotel Roundabout, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Okoi alleged that Marley’s | Leeds [UK], Jan 01 (ANI): Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he is trying to structure his side around German striker Mesut Ozil.
"I'm not surprised. I know the ability, I know the player we have there. The structure has to help him for him to take everything that he has inside," Goal.com quoted Arteta as saying.
"That's what I'm hoping, that he can sustain that level every three or four days. He's putting in everything he has to try to do that," he added.
Praising the 31-year-old experienced forward, Arteta said, "His numbers, physically, have improved so much, and he's willing. That's what I can tell you from every day what I see in training."Ozil played in an advanced role against Chelsea, forming a front four alongside Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Reiss Nelson.
"On his own, he cannot do it. He needs the collective structure, organisation, and his team-mates. There are only one or two players in the world who can do something on their own," Arsenal manager said.
"He needs help and he needs the team to play in a certain way to facilitate his strengths more and more every time in the game. That's what we are trying to do," he added.
Arsenal are placed at the fourth spot with 24 points and will take on Manchester United on January 2. (ANI) | 1 |
This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy | Egypt and Hungary flags
CAIRO, Jan 1 (MENA) - Justice Minister Omar Marwan had talks on Wednesday with Hungarian Ambassador in Cairo Peter Kveck on means of promoting legal and judicial cooperation between the two countries.In a statement on Wednesday, the Justice Ministry said that the minister had talks with the Hungarian ambassador on means of activating a memorandum of understanding signed between the Egyptian and Hungarian justice ministries in 2014 to boost judicial cooperation.For his part, the Hungarian ambassador urged the Egyptian Justice Ministry to speed up the endorsement of legal provisions included in an agreement on the delivery of rail carriages to the Egyptian National Railways (ENR). | 1.666667 |
Although teenage boys remain the most avid video game players in the U.S., they're being joined at the console by another group — their grandparents.
More than 10 million Americans age 50 and older became active video gamers over the past three years, according to an AARP survey. In 2016, there were 40 million senior gamers, a number that's mushroomed to about 51 million in 2019, the survey found.
To be sure, people in their mid-30s still make up a majority of the gaming industry's customers, but the rise in gray-haired gamers has big implications for how companies like Electronic Arts and Nintendo market and create new products, industry observers say.
The rise in older gamers is fueled in part by people who use gaming to spend quality time with grandchildren, but many are also drawn to video games for enjoyment and intellectual challenge.
"It's stress release, connecting socially and staying mentally sharp," said Alison Bryant, AARP's senior vice president of research. "This is wonderfully bite-sized bits of entertainment for them."
The nostalgia effect
The AARP survey, which draws from more than 3,700 online responses, found that women accounted for the largest increase in older gamers in recent years.
Take Pennsylvania resident Barbara Evans, 79, who loves playing Nintendo Wii bowling with three of her friends in her retirement community in Jenkintown. Evans and friends gather twice a week and bowl three digital rounds, a year-long tradition that "has become a very social thing," she said.
"It's a lot of fun when there's other people coming and going and they'll stop and watch and they'll cheer on this one or that one," Evans said.
Evans once bowled a 268 on the game, a score that has become "my claim to fame here."
The game helps Evans think back to her days as a single 20-something working as a nurse. She would finish an eight-hour shift then leave at 11 p.m. to bowl in a competitive league. When Evans got married, she and her husband bowled in a league for several years. She has played Wii bowling for the past seven years.
Forza Horizon 4, a car racing game on Xbox, is the game of choice for Kansas City resident Michelle Kelley. The retired clinical psychologist plays for about two hours daily.
"It's got cars that I currently own and cars that I owned as a teen," Kelley, 73, said, mentioning the 1997 BMW E36 he likes to use in the game. "The one in the game is a coupe and mine is a convertible, so I can drive my own car in the game."
Finding community
Video games that offer a sense of online community and interaction are popular with older gamers because of the isolation many seniors feel, said Greg Portell, head of global consumer industries and retail price at consulting firm AT Kearney.
The AARP data further shows that golden-year gamers are a growing consumer base and "a sizable market that deserves development attention," he added. "All the indicators show it'll be financially lucrative to do that."
Americans over 50 spent $3.5 billion on video games and accessories between in first half of the year, up sharply from $523 million during the same period in 2016, according to AARP. They spent an average of $70 when purchasing video games.
About 164 million people — a figure that includes seniors— played video games in 2018, which helped the industry grab a record $43.4 billion in sales.
Portell expects major video game developers to target seniors over the next decade. For instance, savvy companies could integrate voice controls and sensors, enabling older people to continue playing even if they're not as nimble as they once were.
"And the more they can build trust into the product, the better," he said. "Financial security and safety – really creating something where the [senior gaming] community can let their guard down without having to worry about being scammed."
Bryant agrees that older gamers represent a growth market for gaming companies. "One of the reasons we put out this study is to remind the gaming industry that 'Hey, these are the people who are playing your games'," she said. | The "endgame" in the decadeslong campaign to eradicate polio suffered major setbacks in 2019 . From a report: | 1 |
NEW YORK, Jan. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Microwave Devices market worldwide is projected to grow by US$3.1 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 5.9%. Active Microwave Devices, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 5.5%. The shifting dynamics supporting this growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the changing pulse of the market. Poised to reach over US$5 Billion by the year 2025, Active Microwave Devices will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth.
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05799119/?utm_source=PRN
- Representing the developed world, the United States will maintain a 5.1% growth momentum. Within Europe, which continues to remain an important element in the world economy, Germany will add over US$109.6 Million to the region's size and clout in the next 5 to 6 years. Over US$95.1 Million worth of projected demand in the region will come from Rest of Europe markets. In Japan, Active Microwave Devices will reach a market size of US$267.6 Million by the close of the analysis period. As the world's second largest economy and the new game changer in global markets, China exhibits the potential to grow at 8.7% over the next couple of years and add approximately US$829.3 Million in terms of addressable opportunity for the picking by aspiring businesses and their astute leaders. Presented in visually rich graphics are these and many more need-to-know quantitative data important in ensuring quality of strategy decisions, be it entry into new markets or allocation of resources within a portfolio. Several macroeconomic factors and internal market forces will shape growth and development of demand patterns in emerging countries in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. All research viewpoints presented are based on validated engagements from influencers in the market, whose opinions supersede all other research methodologies.
- Competitors identified in this market include, among others, API Technologies Corporation; L3 Technologies, Inc.; Qorvo, Inc.; Teledyne Technologies Inc.; Thales Group; TMD Technologies Ltd.
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05799119/?utm_source=PRN
I. METHODOLOGY
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. MARKET OVERVIEW
Global Competitor Market Shares
Microwave Devices Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide
(in %): 2019 & 2025
2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS
3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS
Increase in Commercial Drones & UAVs Drive Growth Opportunities
for Microwave Technology in Airborne Telemetry
Microwave Technology is Optimally Poised to Leverage the
Projected Opportunity in Airborne Telemetry: Global Airborne
Telemetry Market (In US$ Billion) for the Years 2017, 2019 &
2022
Progress Towards 5G Commercialization to Drive Opportunities
for Microwave Devices
As the Key Enabler of Backhaul Networks in 5G, Microwave
Devices to Find Lucrative Growth in the Telecom End-Use
Industry: Global 5G Network Infrastructure Market (In US$
Billion) for the Years 2019, 2021 and 2023
A Peek Into the Growth Dynamics in the Military End-Use Sector
Faster Communication Needs Drives Demand for Microwave
Technology in Military Communications
Healthy Outlook for Military Communication Technologies Bodes
Well for Growth in the Market: Global Military Communications
Market (In US$ Billion) for the Years 2017, 2019, 2022 & 2024
Growing Interest in Microwave Based Weapons Opens Up Lucrative
Opportunities
Emerging Reality of Drone Strikes & Drone Warfare Drives
Interest in Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), Expanding the
Addressable Opportunity for High-Power Microwave Weapons:
Global DEW Market (In US$ Billion) for the Years 2017, 2019
& 2022
High Power Microwave to Emerge Into One of the Leading
Technologies in the DEW Market: Global DEW Market Revenue
Breakdown by Technology Type for the Years 2019 & 2024
Strong Military Budgets Worldwide Bodes Well for Growth in the
Military & Defense Sector
Modernizing Military Tactical-Level Communications Systems &
Weapon Systems Become Top Priority of Military Budgets: Global
Military Spending (In US$ Billion) for the Years 2012, 2014,
2017, 2019, and 2022
Microwave Energy to Revolutionize Healthcare from Microwave
Imaging, Therapy Equipment to Medical Waste Management
With Diagnostic Imaging Need Poised to Reach Over US$30 Billion
by 2025, Microwave Imaging as a New Imaging Modality Stands to
Gain: Global Diagnostic Imaging Opportunity (In US$ Billion)
for the Years 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023
4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Table 1: Microwave Devices Global Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 2: Microwave Devices Global Retrospective Market Scenario
in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017
Table 3: Microwave Devices Market Share Shift across Key
Geographies Worldwide: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 4: Active Microwave Devices (Segment) World Market by
Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025
Table 5: Active Microwave Devices (Segment) Historic Market
Analysis by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2009 to 2017
Table 6: Active Microwave Devices (Segment) Market Share
Breakdown of Worldwide Sales by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS
2025
Table 7: Passive Microwave Devices (Segment) Potential Growth
Markets Worldwide in US$ Million: 2018 to 2025
Table 8: Passive Microwave Devices (Segment) Historic Market
Perspective by Region/Country in US$ Million: 2009 to 2017
Table 9: Passive Microwave Devices (Segment) Market Sales
Breakdown by Region/Country in Percentage: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 10: Space & Communication (End-Use) Global Market
Estimates & Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country:
2018-2025
Table 11: Space & Communication (End-Use) Retrospective Demand
Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017
Table 12: Space & Communication (End-Use) Market Share
Breakdown by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 13: Defense (End-Use) Demand Potential Worldwide in US$
Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 14: Defense (End-Use) Historic Sales Analysis in US$
Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017
Table 15: Defense (End-Use) Share Breakdown Review by
Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 16: Commercial (End-Use) Worldwide Latent Demand
Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 17: Commercial (End-Use) Global Historic Analysis in US$
Million by Region/Country: 2009-2017
Table 18: Commercial (End-Use) Distribution of Global Sales by
Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
III. MARKET ANALYSIS
GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS
UNITED STATES
Market Facts & Figures
US Microwave Devices Market Share (in %) by Company: 2019 & 2025
Table 19: United States Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Projections in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 20: Microwave Devices Market in the United States by
Segment: A Historic Review in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 21: United States Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 22: United States Microwave Devices Latent Demand
Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 23: Microwave Devices Historic Demand Patterns in the
United States by End-Use in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 24: Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown in the
United States by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
CANADA
Table 25: Canadian Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 26: Canadian Microwave Devices Historic Market Review by
Segment in US$ Million: 2009-2017
Table 27: Microwave Devices Market in Canada: Percentage Share
Breakdown of Sales by Segment for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 28: Canadian Microwave Devices Market Quantitative Demand
Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 29: Microwave Devices Market in Canada: Summarization of
Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by End-Use for
2009-2017
Table 30: Canadian Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
JAPAN
Table 31: Japanese Market for Microwave Devices: Annual Sales
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 32: Microwave Devices Market in Japan: Historic Sales
Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2009-2017
Table 33: Japanese Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 34: Japanese Demand Estimates and Forecasts for Microwave
Devices in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 35: Japanese Microwave Devices Market in US$ Million by
End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 36: Microwave Devices Market Share Shift in Japan by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
CHINA
Table 37: Chinese Microwave Devices Market Growth Prospects in
US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 38: Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis in China
in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 39: Chinese Microwave Devices Market by Segment:
Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 40: Chinese Demand for Microwave Devices in US$ Million
by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 41: Microwave Devices Market Review in China in US$
Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 42: Chinese Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
EUROPE
Market Facts & Figures
European Microwave Devices Market: Competitor Market Share
Scenario (in %) for 2019 & 2025
Table 43: European Microwave Devices Market Demand Scenario in
US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 44: Microwave Devices Market in Europe: A Historic Market
Perspective in US$ Million by Region/Country for the Period
2009-2017
Table 45: European Microwave Devices Market Share Shift by
Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 46: European Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018-2025
Table 47: Microwave Devices Market in Europe in US$ Million by
Segment: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017
Table 48: European Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 49: European Microwave Devices Addressable Market
Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 50: Microwave Devices Market in Europe: Summarization of
Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period
2009-2017
Table 51: European Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
FRANCE
Table 52: Microwave Devices Market in France by Segment:
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period
2018-2025
Table 53: French Microwave Devices Historic Market Scenario in
US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 54: French Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 55: Microwave Devices Quantitative Demand Analysis in
France in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 56: French Microwave Devices Historic Market Review in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 57: French Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis: A
17-Year Perspective by End-Use for 2009, 2019, and 2025
GERMANY
Table 58: Microwave Devices Market in Germany: Recent Past,
Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 59: German Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis in
US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 60: German Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 61: Microwave Devices Market in Germany: Annual Sales
Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 62: German Microwave Devices Market in Retrospect in US$
Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 63: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in
Germany by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
ITALY
Table 64: Italian Microwave Devices Market Growth Prospects in
US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 65: Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis in Italy
in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 66: Italian Microwave Devices Market by Segment:
Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 67: Italian Demand for Microwave Devices in US$ Million
by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 68: Microwave Devices Market Review in Italy in US$
Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 69: Italian Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
UNITED KINGDOM
Table 70: United Kingdom Market for Microwave Devices: Annual
Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Segment for
the Period 2018-2025
Table 71: Microwave Devices Market in the United Kingdom:
Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2009-2017
Table 72: United Kingdom Microwave Devices Market Share
Analysis by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 73: United Kingdom Demand Estimates and Forecasts for
Microwave Devices in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 74: United Kingdom Microwave Devices Market in US$
Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 75: Microwave Devices Market Share Shift in the United
Kingdom by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
SPAIN
Table 76: Spanish Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 77: Spanish Microwave Devices Historic Market Review by
Segment in US$ Million: 2009-2017
Table 78: Microwave Devices Market in Spain: Percentage Share
Breakdown of Sales by Segment for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 79: Spanish Microwave Devices Market Quantitative Demand
Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 80: Microwave Devices Market in Spain: Summarization of
Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by End-Use for
2009-2017
Table 81: Spanish Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
RUSSIA
Table 82: Russian Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Projections in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 83: Microwave Devices Market in Russia by Segment: A
Historic Review in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 84: Russian Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 85: Russian Microwave Devices Latent Demand Forecasts in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 86: Microwave Devices Historic Demand Patterns in Russia
by End-Use in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 87: Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown in Russia by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
REST OF EUROPE
Table 88: Rest of Europe Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018-2025
Table 89: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Europe in US$
Million by Segment: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017
Table 90: Rest of Europe Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 91: Rest of Europe Microwave Devices Addressable Market
Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 92: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Europe:
Summarization of Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for
the Period 2009-2017
Table 93: Rest of Europe Microwave Devices Market Share
Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
ASIA-PACIFIC
Table 94: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 95: Microwave Devices Market in Asia-Pacific: Historic
Market Analysis in US$ Million by Region/Country for the Period
2009-2017
Table 96: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis
by Region/Country: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 97: Microwave Devices Market in Asia-Pacific by Segment:
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period
2018-2025
Table 98: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Historic Market
Scenario in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 99: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis
by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 100: Microwave Devices Quantitative Demand Analysis in
Asia-Pacific in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 101: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Historic Market
Review in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 102: Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market Share
Analysis: A 17-Year Perspective by End-Use for 2009, 2019, and
2025
AUSTRALIA
Table 103: Microwave Devices Market in Australia: Recent Past,
Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 104: Australian Microwave Devices Historic Market
Analysis in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 105: Australian Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown
by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 106: Microwave Devices Market in Australia: Annual Sales
Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 107: Australian Microwave Devices Market in Retrospect in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 108: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in
Australia by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
INDIA
Table 109: Indian Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 110: Indian Microwave Devices Historic Market Review by
Segment in US$ Million: 2009-2017
Table 111: Microwave Devices Market in India: Percentage Share
Breakdown of Sales by Segment for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 112: Indian Microwave Devices Market Quantitative Demand
Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 113: Microwave Devices Market in India: Summarization of
Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by End-Use for
2009-2017
Table 114: Indian Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
SOUTH KOREA
Table 115: Microwave Devices Market in South Korea: Recent
Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for
the Period 2018-2025
Table 116: South Korean Microwave Devices Historic Market
Analysis in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 117: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in South
Korea by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 118: Microwave Devices Market in South Korea: Recent
Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use for
the Period 2018-2025
Table 119: South Korean Microwave Devices Historic Market
Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 120: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in South
Korea by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
REST OF ASIA-PACIFIC
Table 121: Rest of Asia-Pacific Market for Microwave Devices:
Annual Sales Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by
Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 122: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Asia-Pacific:
Historic Sales Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2009-2017
Table 123: Rest of Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market Share
Analysis by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 124: Rest of Asia-Pacific Demand Estimates and Forecasts
for Microwave Devices in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 125: Rest of Asia-Pacific Microwave Devices Market in US$
Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 126: Microwave Devices Market Share Shift in Rest of
Asia-Pacific by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
LATIN AMERICA
Table 127: Latin American Microwave Devices Market Trends by
Region/Country in US$ Million: 2018-2025
Table 128: Microwave Devices Market in Latin America in US$
Million by Region/Country: A Historic Perspective for the
Period 2009-2017
Table 129: Latin American Microwave Devices Market Percentage
Breakdown of Sales by Region/Country: 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 130: Latin American Microwave Devices Market Growth
Prospects in US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 131: Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis in Latin
America in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 132: Latin American Microwave Devices Market by Segment:
Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 133: Latin American Demand for Microwave Devices in US$
Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 134: Microwave Devices Market Review in Latin America in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 135: Latin American Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
ARGENTINA
Table 136: Argentinean Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018-2025
Table 137: Microwave Devices Market in Argentina in US$ Million
by Segment: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017
Table 138: Argentinean Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown
by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 139: Argentinean Microwave Devices Addressable Market
Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 140: Microwave Devices Market in Argentina: Summarization
of Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period
2009-2017
Table 141: Argentinean Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis
by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
BRAZIL
Table 142: Microwave Devices Market in Brazil by Segment:
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million for the Period
2018-2025
Table 143: Brazilian Microwave Devices Historic Market Scenario
in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 144: Brazilian Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 145: Microwave Devices Quantitative Demand Analysis in
Brazil in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 146: Brazilian Microwave Devices Historic Market Review
in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 147: Brazilian Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis: A
17-Year Perspective by End-Use for 2009, 2019, and 2025
MEXICO
Table 148: Microwave Devices Market in Mexico: Recent Past,
Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 149: Mexican Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis
in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 150: Mexican Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 151: Microwave Devices Market in Mexico: Annual Sales
Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 152: Mexican Microwave Devices Market in Retrospect in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 153: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in
Mexico by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
REST OF LATIN AMERICA
Table 154: Rest of Latin America Microwave Devices Market
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to
2025
Table 155: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Latin America by
Segment: A Historic Review in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 156: Rest of Latin America Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 157: Rest of Latin America Microwave Devices Latent
Demand Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 158: Microwave Devices Historic Demand Patterns in Rest
of Latin America by End-Use in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 159: Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown in Rest of
Latin America by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
MIDDLE EAST
Table 160: The Middle East Microwave Devices Market Estimates
and Forecasts in US$ Million by Region/Country: 2018-2025
Table 161: Microwave Devices Market in the Middle East by
Region/Country in US$ Million: 2009-2017
Table 162: The Middle East Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by Region/Country: 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 163: The Middle East Microwave Devices Market Estimates
and Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 164: The Middle East Microwave Devices Historic Market
by Segment in US$ Million: 2009-2017
Table 165: Microwave Devices Market in the Middle East:
Percentage Share Breakdown of Sales by Segment for 2009, 2019,
and 2025
Table 166: The Middle East Microwave Devices Market
Quantitative Demand Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to
2025
Table 167: Microwave Devices Market in the Middle East:
Summarization of Historic Demand Patterns in US$ Million by
End-Use for 2009-2017
Table 168: The Middle East Microwave Devices Market Share
Analysis by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
IRAN
Table 169: Iranian Market for Microwave Devices: Annual Sales
Estimates and Projections in US$ Million by Segment for the
Period 2018-2025
Table 170: Microwave Devices Market in Iran: Historic Sales
Analysis in US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2009-2017
Table 171: Iranian Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 172: Iranian Demand Estimates and Forecasts for Microwave
Devices in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 173: Iranian Microwave Devices Market in US$ Million by
End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 174: Microwave Devices Market Share Shift in Iran by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
ISRAEL
Table 175: Israeli Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Forecasts in US$ Million by Segment: 2018-2025
Table 176: Microwave Devices Market in Israel in US$ Million by
Segment: A Historic Review for the Period 2009-2017
Table 177: Israeli Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 178: Israeli Microwave Devices Addressable Market
Opportunity in US$ Million by End-Use: 2018-2025
Table 179: Microwave Devices Market in Israel: Summarization of
Historic Demand in US$ Million by End-Use for the Period
2009-2017
Table 180: Israeli Microwave Devices Market Share Analysis by
End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
SAUDI ARABIA
Table 181: Saudi Arabian Microwave Devices Market Growth
Prospects in US$ Million by Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 182: Microwave Devices Historic Market Analysis in Saudi
Arabia in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 183: Saudi Arabian Microwave Devices Market by Segment:
Percentage Breakdown of Sales for 2009, 2019, and 2025
Table 184: Saudi Arabian Demand for Microwave Devices in US$
Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 185: Microwave Devices Market Review in Saudi Arabia in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 186: Saudi Arabian Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Table 187: Microwave Devices Market in the United Arab
Emirates: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$
Million by Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 188: United Arab Emirates Microwave Devices Historic
Market Analysis in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 189: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in
United Arab Emirates by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 190: Microwave Devices Market in the United Arab
Emirates: Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$
Million by End-Use for the Period 2018-2025
Table 191: United Arab Emirates Microwave Devices Historic
Market Analysis in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 192: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in
United Arab Emirates by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
REST OF MIDDLE EAST
Table 193: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Middle East:
Recent Past, Current and Future Analysis in US$ Million by
Segment for the Period 2018-2025
Table 194: Rest of Middle East Microwave Devices Historic
Market Analysis in US$ Million by Segment: 2009-2017
Table 195: Rest of Middle East Microwave Devices Market Share
Breakdown by Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 196: Microwave Devices Market in Rest of Middle East:
Annual Sales Estimates and Forecasts in US$ Million by End-Use
for the Period 2018-2025
Table 197: Rest of Middle East Microwave Devices Market in
Retrospect in US$ Million by End-Use: 2009-2017
Table 198: Microwave Devices Market Share Distribution in Rest
of Middle East by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
AFRICA
Table 199: African Microwave Devices Market Estimates and
Projections in US$ Million by Segment: 2018 to 2025
Table 200: Microwave Devices Market in Africa by Segment: A
Historic Review in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 201: African Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown by
Segment: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
Table 202: African Microwave Devices Latent Demand Forecasts in
US$ Million by End-Use: 2018 to 2025
Table 203: Microwave Devices Historic Demand Patterns in Africa
by End-Use in US$ Million for 2009-2017
Table 204: Microwave Devices Market Share Breakdown in Africa
by End-Use: 2009 VS 2019 VS 2025
IV. COMPETITION
API TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
L3 TECHNOLOGIES
QORVO
TMD TECHNOLOGIES
TELEDYNE TECHNOLOGIES
THALES GROUP
V. CURATED RESEARCH
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http://www.reportlinker.com | NEW YORK, Jan. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global GPS (Global Positioning System) Market size is expected to reach $128.7 billion by 2025, rising at a market growth of 20.3% CAGR during the forecast period. A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that gives position and time information in all weather conditions, wherever there is an uninterrupted line of sight to four or more GPS satellites, on or near the Earth. GPS provides military, civil, and commercial users around the world with critical capabilities. It is operated by the government of the United States and is available to anyone with a GPS receiver.
Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05832286/?utm_source=PRN
It is expected that the global GPS market will see significant growth in the near future due to increased use in the military, defense, and broad spectrum of civilian applications. The GPS device is used in a wide range of industrial applications and, therefore, has a positive influence on the GPS market. Transport, construction, aerospace, and farming are the GPS system's leading users. The adoption of GPS devices increases the operational efficiencies of these industries and helps cut down the overall operation expenses.
Embedded GPS units in passenger vehicles guide travellers through unknown routes in the transportation industry. It is expected that increasing numbers of customers use smartphones with location-enabled services will stimulate market growth in the coming years. The emergence of high-speed mobile data technologies like 3G and 4G promotes the worldwide use of GPS, which is fueling the global market. Stringent policies and licensing, however, are some factors that hinder the growth of the overall market.
Based on Deployment, the market is segmented into Consumer Devices, Automotive Telematics Systems, Standalone Trackers, Portable Navigation Devices and Others. Based on Application, the market is segmented into Location-Based Services, Road, Aviation, Marine, Surveying & Mapping and Others. GPS technology can be used in a wide range of applications like road, aviation, location-based services, marine, survey, and mapping. The location-based services segment recorded a dominant share in the global positioning systems market during 2018. This can be due to a change in market preference towards services like e-commerce and e-hailing. Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa.
The major strategies followed by the market participants are Product launches and Partnerships & Collaborations. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix, Qualcomm, Inc., Broadcom, Inc., and United Technologies Corporation (Rockwell Collins, Inc.) are some of the forerunners in the Global Positioning System (GPS) Market. The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include United Technologies Corporation (Rockwell Collins, Inc.), Hexagon AB, Qualcomm, Inc., Broadcom, Inc., Trimble, Inc., Garmin Ltd., KVH Industries, Inc., TomTom N.V., Geotab, Inc. and MiTAC Holdings Corporation.
Recent strategies deployed in Global Positioning System (GPS) Market
Collaborations, Partnerships, and Agreements:
Oct-2019: Broadcom collaborated with OriginGPS for developing a new miniature module with L1 + L5 support provided by the BCM47758 chip. This enables ultra-accurate GNSS positioning. This module has been developed for the solutions that require a dual-frequency and GNSS combination.
Sep-2019: NovAtel, a Hexagon Company, signed an agreement with CNH Industrial N.V. in which it will supply its positioning intelligence technologies to CNH. Through this agreement, NovAtel will introduce its agriculture focused GNSS receivers and correction services to CNH industrial global agriculture brands New Holland Agriculture, European brand STEYR, and Case IH.
Sep-2019: Qualcomm came into partnership with Trimble in which both will develop precise positioning products together. In this partnership, Trimble will combine its Trimble's RTX technology with select Qualcomm Snapdragon Automotive 4G and 5G platforms in order to deliver accurate positioning solutions.
Sep-2019: Trimble signed a partnership agreement with Qualcomm in which both will work together for producing precise positioning solutions for use in automotive applications. In this partnership, they will combine Trimble's RTX® technology with Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ Automotive 4G and 5G platforms in order to deliver accurate positioning solutions.
Sep-2019: TomTom collaborated with Microsoft in order to address the automakers precise and reliable navigation.
Sep-2019: TomTom teamed up with HELLA Aglaia in order to provide the access of AutoStream to HELLA for generating map updates called Roadagrams.
Feb-2019: Navman, a subsidiary of MiTAC, announced its collaboration with Haultech in which they would offer the small and medium sized fleet operators, a new transport management solution. This solution has been integrated with Navman's connected M-NAV portable navigation unit and job dispatch so that the fleet managers can supervise the operations in real-time.
Sep-2018: TomTom signed partnership agreement with STMicroelectronics in order to offer geolocation tools and services for tracking and mapping data services, location, and accelerating product development.
Jun-2018: TomTom collaborated with what3words in order to complement its geolocation tools and services for providing better solutions to the customers.
Acquisition and Mergers:
Nov-2018: Broadcom announced the acquisition of CA Technologies. This acquisition strengthens the position of its semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions and allows the company to provide better solutions to customers.
Oct-2018: Trimble took over Veltec; a Brazil based fleet management Provider Company in order to provide fleet management solutions to the transport companies. This acquisition would enhance the market position and productivity of the company.
Product Launches:
Nov-2019: Trimble unveiled the R12 GNSS receiver, a high-performance GNSS surveying solution. This solution is powered by Trimble RTX positioning engine and a new real-time kinematic (RTK) and features Trimble ProPoint GNSS technology, which empowers the land surveyors in quickly measuring the main points in more places as compared to previous technologies.
Nov-2019: Garmin expanded its reach to India through the launch of F?nix 6 series of premium multisport GPS smartwatches. This watch has its special focus on enhancing the outdoor experience of users with its special emphasis on biking, trail running, hunting, mountain biking, etc.
Sep-2019: Garmin introduced Venu, a GPS smartwatch with an AMOLED display. It has the features of 24-7 fitness monitoring comprises of advanced sleep with a pulse oximeter, abnormal heart rate alerts, stress tracking with relaxation reminders, menstrual cycle tracking, and hydration tracking.
Jul-2019: KVH introduced TACNAV 3D inertial navigation system that comprises of GNSS and optional chip-scale atomic lock. This system can be integrated with a number of military GNSS systems and it features one pulse per second timing assurance while GNSS signal loss.
Jun-2019: Hexagon introduced HxGN OnCall, a comprehensive, modernized public safety portfolio. This portfolio uses data analytics in real time for enhancing operational awareness, optimization of resources, and increasing efficiency.
Jun-2019: Garmin released running smartwatch -- Forerunner 945 in India. This has been launched for fulfilling the needs of sports enthusiastic and advanced runners.
May-2019: Trimble released Trimble® TDC600 handheld, an ultra-rugged, all-in-one smartphone and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data collector for field inspection and GIS applications.
Mar-2019: Geotab unveiled new GO9 telematics device, which helps the businesses in managing their fleets in a better way. This device has the feature of GNSS module to offer customers with GLONASS and GPS support to gain access to location data accurately.
Jan-2019: Garmin announced a trio of new Garmin Drive standalone GPS navigators, drive 52, SmartDrive 55 and SmartDrive 65 for automotive. These navigators have the solid mapping and navigation software with terrain and 3D building data.
Dec-2018: Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon™ 855 Mobile Platform, first commercial mobile platform that supports multi-gigabit 5G, AI and immersive extended reality (XR). This platform supports dual-frequency GNSS using the Galileo E1/E5a signals as well as the GPS and QZSS L1/L5 signals for producing the robust and accurate locations.
Scope of the Study
Market Segmentation:
By Deployment
• Consumer Devices
• Automotive Telematics Systems
• Standalone Trackers
• Portable Navigation Devices
• Others
By Application
• Location-Based Services
• Road
• Aviation
• Marine
• Surveying and Mapping
• Others
By Geography
• North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
o Rest of North America
• Europe
o Germany
o UK
o France
o Russia
o Spain
o Italy
o Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
o China
o Japan
o India
o South Korea
o Singapore
o Australia
o Rest of Asia Pacific
• LAMEA
o Brazil
o Argentina
o UAE
o Saudi Arabia
o South Africa
o Nigeria
o Rest of LAMEA
Companies Profiled
• United Technologies Corporation (Rockwell Collins, Inc.)
• Hexagon AB
• Qualcomm, Inc.
• Broadcom, Inc.
• Trimble, Inc.
• Garmin Ltd.
• KVH Industries, Inc.
• TomTom N.V.
• Geotab, Inc.
• MiTAC Holdings Corporation
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• Exhaustive coverage
• Highest number of market tables and figures
• Subscription based model available
• Guaranteed best price
• Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free
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Because of the particular beauty that characterizes each of them, ten of the 128 protected areas that are part of the Natural Heritage of the Dominican Republic were the most visited by foreign and domestic tourists.
From January to December 2019, visitors made their journeys and enjoyed the impressive biodiversity, recreation areas, landscapes, beaches, spas and mountains of those iconic places of the national territory.
The first of these attractions was the Cotubanamá National Park followed by the natural monuments Loma Isabel de Torres and Cueva Los Tres Ojos, located in La Romana, Puerto Plata, and Santo Domingo East.
In that sense, Ekers Raposo Peña, responsible for ecotourism and public use of the Ministry of Environment, explained that among the places sought by visitors are the natural monuments Catalina Island (La Romana), Salto de la Damajagua (Puerto Plata), Salto from Jima ( Bonao ), Salto de Jimenoa (Jarabacoa), El Saltadero (Cabrera), Los Haitises National Park (Sabana de la Mar), as well as the Natural Monument Cabo Francés Viejo (Cabrera).
The Cotubanamá National Park, between La Romana and La Altagracia, is identified by its excellent beaches, climatic conditions and pre-Hispanic cultural values that are a permanent attraction of ecological tourism, its route covers Saona Island, the Catuano Channel, Punta Aljibe and Punta Balajú and Bahía de las Calderas, according to El Día. | Broken your New Year’s resolution yet?
Yes, we’re only a few hours into the new decade, but let’s face it, many people have already failed to meet the goals they set for themselves.
If you’re one of them, don’t worry, you’ll have lots of company.
One reason people fail to achieve those lofty New Year’s resolutions is the “lofty” part; they’ve set that bar where it’s just too far out of reach.
Year after year, the top 10 list of resolutions looks much the same: Exercise more, lose weight is always up there, as are the money-related resolutions.
It’s in a good cause, for sure. Improving yourself is always important.
But most people don’t manage to make those drastic changes, especially at a stressful time of year, while suffering the after-effects on holiday indulgence, whether that be spirits, food or sweets.
That’s no way to set yourself up for success.
Still, reflecting on making positive changes isn’t a bad way to finish up the year. Even if you’ve given up on making New Year’s resolutions, taking the time to reflect on where you’ve been and where you are going is always a good way to learn and improve.
We can be awfully rough on ourselves this time of year with the goals we set, but why not set some more fun goals instead? You could, for example, resolve to spend more time with family or friends.
Learning a new skill is another good one. It might take a little work, but if you pick something you’re always wanted to do, the satisfaction will outweigh the effort.
But there’s another category that doesn’t revolve around self-improvement, and that’s making the world better for others. Charity doesn’t usually make it too high on the top 10 resolutions list, but it is almost always there, which is a hopeful sign for humanity.
For instance, think about what would happen if we all resolved to increase our donations to the food bank, or your favourite local charity, by a few dollars a month. How many more people could be helped?
Making resolutions is fun, no matter whether your goal is improving your body or mind.
But there is one resolution we’d like to suggest for everyone. Be a little kinder to yourself and everyone around you. It’s the first step on the road to making a better world.
READ MORE: SilverStar to ring in new year with a pow
READ MORE: B.C.’s top local news stories of 2019
@VernonNews
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NEW YORK -- Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China.
The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere.
The new case is the sixth reported in the United States. The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China.
The Chicago woman returned from central China on Jan. 13, then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their 60s, are hospitalized.
Experts have said they expected additional cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely. Health officials think the new virus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois health officials said that health workers and people who have been in contact with the latest patient are being monitored for symptoms.
“We anticipated this,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. “The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged. That’s the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted."
The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. It is a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The new virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170.
An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did SARS and MERS.
The other U.S. cases are in Arizona, Southern California and Washington state.
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In a New Year's message, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said the force was at its biggest level since 2020.
That comes on the back of a Conservative election pledge to recruit 20,000 police across the country.
Mr Campion, who was elected as the conservative candidate in 2016, said 2020 would be another big year.
Mr Campion said: "2019 has been a big year for policing here for the communities in West Mercia.
"We have seen 250 officers recruited as the force has grown to the biggest level since 2012 and 2020 is going to be another big year.
"I, as commissioner, want to make sure I am the voice of the public in policing, that is why I have worked hard across 2019 to get out there into our communities and more is planned for 2020.
"There has been a lot that we have achieved in 2019 and I am optimistic as we move into 2020 that this year will be a great year for West Mercia and the communities of West Mercia." | PHILIPSBURG:— Whether you will be heading to a church, to a party, or bringing in the New Year in the comfort of your own home, New Years is a time to reflect and set goals, and as we say goodbye to this year, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on 2019 for the Government of St. Maarten.
Fellow St. Maarteners and visitors, on behalf of the Council of Ministers, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Firstly, I want to Thank God almighty for another year; one without any
To read more: http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/33638-honorable-prime-minister-silveria-e-jacobs-new-year-s-address.html | 2 |
Systems Solutions (SSI) is the subject of this week’s SooToday What’s Up Wednesday
From an office in the Sault’s Industrial Park Crescent, Terry Kelly presides over Systems Solutions (SSI) as the company’s founder and CEO, SSI a locally owned and operated business solutions firm he runs with two business partners.
The company, which sells business management software to independently-owned office supply businesses, could be described as an ‘under the radar’ success story which can trace its roots to the lumber industry north of the Sault in the 1970s.
Terry, a Sault native who grew up in the west end of the city, graduated from St. Mary’s College and went to work in the accounting department for Tessier Massicotte & Partners, which later became BDO Canada.
Terry worked for the firm for six years.
“Back in those days, you could take the chartered accountant course by working at a CA firm and doing it by correspondence. I didn’t get my degree, but after six years I went to work for our largest client, which was Dubreuil Brothers,” Terry said, speaking to SooToday.
Terry worked for 17 years with Dubreuil Brothers Limited, a logging and lumbering operation in Dubreuilville, 294 kilometres (182 miles) north of Sault Ste. Marie, serving as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) from 1975 to 1985.
“We had 500 employees. That was not a small company,” Terry recalled.
Part of Terry’s responsibilities with Dubreuil Brothers was automation in the office, contracting with Gary Dumanski of MD Business Systems in 1985 to install a modern computer system and have specialized software developed for the forestry industry.
MD Business Systems was the mini-computer division of CONTEL, forerunner of SSI.
“We were leading edge at that point. I had gone as far as I could go with Dubreuil and I saw an opportunity and thought ‘this can be sold to other mills,’ so in 1985 I decided to partner with Gary in MD Business Systems,” Terry said.
As a result, many independent sawmill companies in the province bought their software.
“When I talk software, it wasn’t a small software piece. It was everything. We had automated scaling in the bush with data collectors. We were pioneers of that at Dubreuil, down to managing the sale and transport of the lumber into the States and the exchange rates and all that neat stuff. We did that.”
“We worked with mills all over the place.”
From lumber mills, Terry began selling the software to construction companies.
“We had quite a few Home Hardware stores...we have a building centre in Windsor the size of Soo Mill.”
In 1990, Terry branched off on his own, starting up Systems Solutions Limited, concentrating on selling software to office supply businesses.
From 1994 to 2000, he captured the Canadian market, doing business with 30 clients in 43 locations coast to coast.
SSI currently has 166 clients, 128 of which are independent office products dealers, 90 of them in the U.S.
Eight SSI clients are in the Sault and Algoma district, with others in every province and territory (except Nunavut), in 37 states, another being the biggest office supply dealer in the Bahamas.
SSI is number one in Canada in providing business management systems for office supply dealers, number three in North America.
There was, at one time, a lot of travelling involved for Terry as he built his business.
“My wife and I would fly to Vancouver, rent a car and drive to Calgary, doing demos, training existing clients...I used to drive 80,000 kilometres a year just in Ontario, and fly the rest.”
“Not anymore. With the internet, we can demo, we can train on the internet...(but) we have some trade shows we travel to.”
“I pinch myself all the time,” said Terry of his success, quick to give a lot of credit to his team.
“I did not do this alone by any means. I have excellent staff and I’ve got two great business partners,” Terry emphasized.
“My senior guys have over 20 years of service. To me it’s gratifying to have these big clients in Phoenix, Los Angeles, spending a lot of money with us, with this little company in Sault Ste. Marie. We have a good reputation and we treat our employees well.”
SSI currently has eight employees in the Sault, three others elsewhere in Canada and seven in the U.S.
“Sault College and Algoma University have been good to us. A lot of our guys, their graduates, have worked for us,” Terry said.
“My two business partners are younger and they’re carrying the torch now, but I’m still in the office every day.”
Now in his late 70s, Terry said he isn’t the type to retire.
“I don’t know what I would do if I retired. I would go nuts,” he laughed. | From the continued fallout of hockey's so-called social reckoning, Don Cherry's potential replacement, the shaping of Seattle's NHL franchise and the uncertain future of the women's game, The Canadian Press takes a look at some hockey storylines to watch out for in 2020.
WHAT'S NEXT IN HOCKEY'S #METOO MOMENT?
article continues below
The resignation of Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters over allegations of past racism and physical abuse started the process of shining a light on some of the game's unseemly corners in the last six weeks of 2019. Chicago Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford was subsequently suspended by the team, but will keep his job, for allegations of physical abuse by some former players — something he has sought counselling for since 2010. Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery, meanwhile, was fired for unspecified unprofessional conduct. The NHL unveiled a code of conduct earlier this month, but hockey's biggest question heading into 2020 is this: Where does the story go from here?
WHO OR WHAT FILLS DON CHERRY'S SHOES?
One of the game's most polarizing figures, famed "Hockey Night in Canada" commentator Don Cherry, was fired by Rogers Sportsnet in November. Cherry, 85, was fired on Nov. 11 for comments two days earlier that many felt were critical of immigrants for not wearing Remembrance Day poppies. Cherry used the phrase, 'You people,' during the "Coach's Corner" segment but later denied that he was singling out minorities. "You people that come here, whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that," Cherry said. "These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price." So after 38 years, where does the program go from here? Sportsnet has yet to name a replacement or map out a long-term plan for its prime first intermission slot on Saturday nights, but if someone takes on the job, Cherry's shoes will be enormous to fill.
SEATTLE TAKING SHAPE
The NHL's 32nd franchise continues to grind toward its inaugural season in 2021-22. Seattle has hired a general manager in Hall of Fame forward Ron Francis, continues to build its front office and scouting staffs, and should have a name, colour scheme and head coach by this time next year. Francis is already preparing for the expansion draft in June 2021, but fairly or unfairly, Seattle will always be compared to the Vegas Golden Knights, who made the Stanley Cup final in their first season back in 2017-18.
THE FUTURE OF WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY
Women's professional hockey had a great start to 2019, but its future as the calendar flips to 2020 remains very much up in the air. U.S. star Kendall Coyne Schofield wowed fans at January's NHL all-star game with an impressive showing in the fastest skater competition against her male counterparts. But the Canadian Women's Hockey League — one of two pro leagues in North America — ceased operations in May after 12 years. The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association rose from the CWHL's ashes, stating its roughly 200 players wouldn't play anywhere, including the U.S.-based NWHL, until a league they deem financially viable and sustainable is established. From the outside, it makes sense for the women's game to eventually fall under the NHL banner, but it remains to be seen if that will ever actually happen.
CANADA'S STANLEY CUP DROUGHT
At this time last year, the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets all sat near the top of the NHL standings, their fans dreaming of an end to Stanley Cup drought for Canadian teams that dates back to the Montreal Canadiens' victory in 1993. But all three clubs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, and no team residing north of the border looks to be among the league's elite heading into 2020. Things, however, can change quickly. Calgary, Toronto and Winnipeg were the only Canadian franchises to make the playoffs last year, but Edmonton, Montreal and Vancouver could bring that number to as high as six this spring.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 1, 2020.
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Follow @JClipperton_CP on Twitter | 1.333333 |
HYDERABAD: Liquor literally flowed in Hyderabad as tipplers spent a whopping Rs 210 crore on various brands as they bade goodbye to 2019 on Tuesday night and ushered in New Year . The total value of liquor sales in Telangana on December 31 night was around Rs 350 crore, market experts said.Across the state, 1,91,323 cases of beer and 2,11,515 cases of Indian-made foreign liquor were sold on Tuesday night alone. “With Hyderabad alone catering to 60% of the sales, Rs 210 crore worth beer and other liquor brands were lapped up by the guzzlers in the city,” a trader explained.Curiously, the total sales value remained the same when compared to the last year despite the increase in the prices recently. On December 31, 2018, 2,18,007 cases of beer and 2,00,051 cases of IMFL were sold across the state. “There was a slight dip in the number of cases sold when compared to the last year. But, increase in the prices made up for the total sale value remaining intact,” sources in the liquor trade averred.Meanwhile, some liquor shops, in their bid to woo tipplers, came up with innovative ideas to increase sales on December 31 night. For instance, in Mahabubabad, a shop owner announced a lucky draw scheme. Those who made a purchase of above Rs 2,000 was given an opportunity to participate in the lucky draw. The first prize winner would get an LCD TV, second prize winner a smart phone and third prize winner would get silver coins.Many liquor lovers fell for the bait and stood in a long queue to buy liquor. | A woman in Hyderabad attempted suicide by setting herself ablaze outside the Panjagutta police station.
The incident took place on Tuesday morning.
According to Panjagutta Police, on December 31, a woman identified as Lokeshwari came to the station along with her husband. Later she poured kerosene on herself and set herself on fire. "Immediately our police personal noticed and doused the fire and the victim was rushed to NIMS hospital," police said.
She is currently undergoing treatment and investigation is on in the case.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) | 1 |
West Side Story
The spectre of Cats looms large and rabid over 2020’s musical offerings, yet some of them are among the year’s most major hopes. One such key release is this second film version of the Bernstein/Laurents/Sondheim classic, directed by Steven Spielberg and written – apparently more faithfully to the original stage show than the 1961 movie – by Tony Kushner, with whom Spielberg previously collaborated on Lincoln. Ansel Elgort is a nagging concern as Tony; schoolgirl discovery Rachel Zegler plays Maria (having won the part via a Shallow audition tape).
In the Heights
While we wait for the Hamilton movie, here’s the long-gestating movie proper of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s previous hit, starring Anthony Ramos. It was supposed to have come out in 2011, but behind-the-cenes cast changes – including a Weinstein association – delayed first curtain.
A talent for drag … Max Harwood in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Everyone’s Talking About Jamie
Billy Elliot meets Kinky Boots in this big-screen transfer for the West End hit about a Sheffield teenage boy with a talent for drag. The cast is mostly new to the production, from lead Max Harwood to supporting cast Richard E Grant, Sharon Horgan and Sarah Lancashire, but the show’s creator and director, Jonathan Butterell, retains the reins.
Prince of Cats
Here’s another loose spin on Romeo and Juliet, this time from Spike Lee, via Ron Wimberly’s graphic novel set in the 80s in “Da People’s Republic of Brooklyn”. Lakeith Stanfield was set to star as the rapping Tybalt but has since dropped out.
Annette
AKA Marriage Story: the musical. Adam Driver is husband to Marion Cotillard and father to their unusual daughter in this sung-through movie from Leos (Holy Motors) Carax. The film became famous after Driver helped publicise Carax’s missing dog when they were shooting in Brussels; Javelot was soon found at a nearby railway station. | Many people make New Year’s resolutions to make big changes in their lives. A lot of these promises are related to health – particularly physical health . It’s wonderful to try to eat healthier, work out more and get stronger, but we often neglect our mental health.
The truth is, many of us have trouble changing our physical health due to poor mental health. Don’t let a barrier in your head keep you from achieving your health goals in 2020. A lot of people will tell you that it’s easy for the first month or so but then life gets in the way and they revert to their old ways. The best way to stay on track is to sort out the mental stuff first, so that you can focus on the physical.
One way to improve your mental health is through hypnotherapy . Many of our poor health choices are the result of bad habits we can’t seem to break. Through hypnosis, you can replace those deeply imbedded beliefs you have regarding diet and exercise with more positive and health-conscious thoughts. A hypnotherapist can bypass the conscious mind and help you flip the switch on old habits. Once you’re mentally ready, you’ll find it easier to stick to your goals.
Start off the year right by treating yourself to some sessions at Positive Changes Hypnosis Centers’ Hamilton location. Don’t listen to the naysayers who tell you that you cannot achieve your goals for 2020. Everyone can use a little help getting started, so why not try hypnosis to increase your odds of success? | 1 |
More than a few people (my Tesla-owner friends very much included) have questioned this fixation, and I freely admit it’s an odd one.
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On the whole, je ne regrette rien. Proponents do make a plausible assumption: Because gas-powered cars account for between one-sixth and one-fifth of U.S. carbon emissions, electrifying them could make a big difference.
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Mass adoption of electric cars, however, cannot occur unless they can do everything gas-powered vehicles can do — including the ability to go hundreds of miles before refueling, and refueling easily — at a comparable total cost of ownership. Otherwise, electric cars will be a niche product for upper-income folks. And government subsidies for them will be a regressive transfer of social resources in return for little climate benefit, given that the U.S. power grid the cars draw from is 64 percent fueled by coal and gas.
Nothing happened in the past decade to undermine this basic critique. Government, both federal and state, subsidized electric-car sales and production to the tune of several billion dollars, yet as of March 2019, there were 1.18 million electric vehicles on the road in the United States — less than one-half of 1 percent of the total. Households earning $100,000 or more per year own two-thirds of EVs, with many of the owners benefiting from a $7,500 federal tax credit.
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Globally, electric-car adoption is also modest relative to optimistic forecasts. Of the 86 million cars sold in the top 54 world markets in 2018, 1.26 million, or 1.5 percent, were EVs. That’s nowhere near then-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn’s 2010 prognostication that EVs would account for 10 percent of global sales by 2020.
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My biggest error, in hindsight, was to underestimate the financial staying power of Elon Musk’s cash-burning Tesla Motors, which I thought would exhaust investors’ patience long before it conquered the complexities of mass-producing quality vehicles. Tesla’s Model 3 is the most popular electric car on the market, with 111,000 sold in the first nine months of 2019. Owners swear by it.
Tesla’s survival, though, may be the exception that proves the rule. (And we’ll see how it does now that Congress has allowed that tax credit to lapse.) Ballyhooed start-ups such as Coda, TH!NK and Fisker all went bankrupt before 2015 — Fisker after defaulting on an Energy Department loan at an ultimate cost to taxpayers of $139 million.
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Chevrolet discontinued its Volt, a plug-in hybrid, in 2019 after selling only about 150,000 since the car launched in 2011. That same year, the Obama administration had projected that General Motors would sell as many as 500,000 Volts by 2015.
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But wait. What about recent reports that Volkswagen is making big new investments in electrics? Or Ford’s announcement of a new all-electric Mustang crossover? GM, Chevy’s parent company, says it, too, is preparing a new generation of EVs.
Established automakers are indeed about to ramp up electric offerings, providing Tesla with its most serious competition yet.
They are doing so, however, more as a response to regulatory pressure from governments — even after the Trump administration scaled back fuel-economy standards — than as a response to demonstrated customer demand, which lately has favored gas-powered SUVs and pickups.
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The problem, as industry leaders acknowledge in their quieter moments, is still the same: getting the total cost of owning an EV down to that of a gas equivalent. There’s uncertainty about key variables such as how much more battery costs will fall and the global supply of rare-earth elements.
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GM President Mark Reuss recently wrote that EV-gas cost parity may happen “within a decade.” Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo told Automotive News Europe: “I do not believe there will be a dramatic increase in demand for battery vehicles, and I believe this situation is true globally.”
A mid-2018 report by JPMorgan Asset Management noted that the median global forecast by industry experts is 125 million EVs on the road worldwide by 2030, which would be less than 10 percent of the total. “I’m taking the ‘under’ rather than the ‘over,’ ” the report’s author, Michael Cembalest, added.
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Me too. Let’s reconvene in 10 years to see who wins that wager, and to assess the true costs and benefits of the bet that big government and big business have placed on the electric car.
Read more:
AD | The annual population growth rate of the United States over the past year continued a decades-long decline, dropping to its lowest level in the past century.
According to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population grew by 1,552,022 since 2018, an increase of one-half of one percent.
That rate of growth is slower than during the Great Depression of the 1930s, a period which had until the past decade marked the smallest expansion of the U.S. population since the overall number of inhabitants briefly dropped in 1918
Several factors help explain why the U.S. population growth rate is slowing:
Declining fertility rates, more deaths
Forty-two states and the District of Columbia all had a drop in the number of births recorded over the past year. And with the number of deaths continuing a steady decade-long rise as more and more post-World War Two baby boomers reach old age, the number of births outnumbered the number of deaths nationwide by fewer than 1 million for the first time in decades.
That birth-driven increase in population did not occur this year in West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, all of which had more deaths than births.
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Fewer immigrants
The estimated number of people moving annually to the U.S. from other parts of the world has steadily declined from the decade's highest total of 1,046,709 in 2016, the final year of the Obama administration.
This year's expected total of 595,348 immigrants would be the lowest yet in the Trump administration, which has proposed new restrictions on immigration and slashed the number of refugees being granted asylum.
Many states have also had residents leaving for other states. Over the past nine years, New York is the state with the largest out-migration, losing 1,379,210 of its residents. They are among more than 2.5 million residents of the U.S. Northeast who have moved to other regions, making it the most widely abandoned part of the country.
The Midwest has had the second largest exodus. Of the 1,666,043 Midwesterners who have left since 2010, 865,873 hailed from Illinois.
In contrast, the 912,038 people who moved away from California over the past nine years were outnumbered by 1,021,544 moving there from abroad.
Other states have had far more people moving in from elsewhere in the country than leaving. Texas has been a top recipient, with 1,145,629 arriving from other states and another 818,757 from abroad since 2010. It's nearly matched by Florida, with 1,289,614 residents of other states moving there and 1,107,039 more coming from abroad.
These demographic shifts will likely have consequences when U.S. congressional districts are reapportioned based on the 2020 census.
"From the calculations I've done," says William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, "Texas could gain three seats, Florida could gain two seats. California fairly likely could lose a seat for the first time in its history."
Frey predicts the aging of the workforce and the shrinking population growth rate will also have political ramifications.
"You know, a lot of our decline of births, or at least slow growth of births, can be countered by immigration from abroad," he tells NPR's Here and Now. "And so immigration is going to be a much bigger part of our growth. So this is something to pay attention to as we move ahead into the next decade. What is our immigration policy going to be? How are immigrants going to fit into the rest of our society, in the rest of our economy?"
"The big safety valve in all of this," Frey says, "is immigration." | 1.666667 |
Can we hear a YAASSS?! Because they are REALLY there for us.
Just when all Friends fans thought that this year had lost all meaning when Netflix announced the removal of the beloved comedy sitcom from the American media-services provider, BOOOM the universe pulls a googly and well Friends ain’t leaving us Dubai folks anytime soon.
Don’t believe us?? Check your Netflix accounts asap, the show that’s a MOOD for every mood is very much still there.
So basically to put ALL rumours to rest, all regions around the world will be keeping Friends except the United States. | Listen to article
The immediate past Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere has felicitated with the good people of Imo State and Nigerians at large, wishing them a more prosperous 2020.
Prince Madumere's remark was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Onwuchekwa.
According to the statement, he advised the people of Imo State to be hopeful and rest assured that the New Year will bring about better positive change in the national life.
The statement reads: "I wish to felicitate with the good people of Imo State, especially those who by God's grace are alive to witness yet another brand new year, 2020.
"It presents another hope and opportunity to chart a new course in our differing endeavours.
"I wish to encourage us all to have less reliance on the government but seek creative means to contribute to the development of our State and the Nation at large.
"I want us to buy into the former American President's call to his compatriot to think of what to do for the country and not what the country will do for you.
" Today, with protective policies, our diligent farmers and people in agribusiness are smiling to the banks, thereby creating opportunities for the people. Government should bother more on infrastructure and incentives for businesses to thrive.
"I trust that there will be improvement this year with policies and programmes already on ground for which most of them are already at implementation stage."
He also called on the political class to know when to close ranks, especially when an issue is such that will affect the welfare of the people.
He said: "I also want to call on the political class to know when politicking takes the back seat. Whenever the welfare and security of the people are involved, we must be careful on the way we carry on. I say so because it does not show leadership when we put our selfish desires and interest above that of the general well being of the people." | 1 |
Andrei Jikh was teaching magic online but he found more lucrative work by switching to personal finance.
One year later, he has 300,000 subscribers and earned six figures just from ads placed on his videos by Google.
Jikh spoke to Business Insider about deciding to start a YouTube channel, how he maximizes his earnings, and how much he earned per month in 2019.
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Personal finance YouTuber Andrei Jikh grew up in a family of circus performers from Russia, and he moved to the US at age 9 when his dad got a job with Cirque du Soleil.
Jikh fell in love with magic and filming home videos. Ten years later, he was hired by a startup to teach magic online.
But when his parents acquired "crazy debt," Jikh became obsessed with personal finance.
"We were immigrants when we came here," he told Business Insider. "We didn't really know how to manage our money, credit cards, so my parents got into crazy debt. It had a big effect on me when I was younger. At 19, I tried to teach myself, interviewing everyone I worked with to learn what they do."
In late 2018, he quit his job, and with the roughly $200,000 he had in savings, started making personal finance videos for YouTube.
A year later, he has 300,000 subscribers and earned more than $100,000 in 2019 from ads that run in his videos — far more than the $60,000 he made at his peak year as an online magician.
"I never wanted to be in the spotlight," he told Business Insider. "But if that's not your goal, then magic becomes extremely limited, and there's very few ways for you to earn money in that industry."
This screenshot shows all the ad formats that creators can use to monetize their videos. Source: YouTuber Marina Mogilko. Marina Mogilko
Jikh's monthly revenue quickly increased
In just a few months, Jikh was starting to make real money.
Creators with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours are eligible to have their videos monetized with ads by joining YouTube's Partner Program. How much they earn depends on a number of factors, like a video's watch time, length, video type, and viewer demographics. Some top creators have ad-placement strategies to maximize their earnings.
Here's his monthly AdSense breakdown for 2019:
January: $0. Jikh said he didn't know how to create effective thumbnails and titles.
$0. Jikh said he didn't know how to create effective thumbnails and titles. February: $0. By the second month, he was starting to learn how to structure his videos.
$0. By the second month, he was starting to learn how to structure his videos. March: $90.48. You have to make a minimum of $100 for YouTube to get paid, so technically, he made $0 that month.
$90.48. You have to make a minimum of $100 for YouTube to get paid, so technically, he made $0 that month. April: $1,511.57, from one viral video.
$1,511.57, from one viral video. May: $1,923.07, another viral video called "How I made 781.47 with Robinhood Dividends," where he shows his income from dividends. "This was the turning point in realizing that some videos pay more depending on your topic," he said. "Personal finance, financial minimalism, finance, credit cards, brokerages, etc., pay a lot more money than most other topics on YouTube."
$1,923.07, another viral video called "How I made 781.47 with Robinhood Dividends," where he shows his income from dividends. "This was the turning point in realizing that some videos pay more depending on your topic," he said. "Personal finance, financial minimalism, finance, credit cards, brokerages, etc., pay a lot more money than most other topics on YouTube." June: $2,558.13. He learned he could monetize his videos by placing ads in the middle of videos.
$2,558.13. He learned he could monetize his videos by placing ads in the middle of videos. July: $3,895.60
$3,895.60 August : $5,808.33
: $5,808.33 September: $14,879.04, his first five-figure month. He started earning between $20 and $30 for every one thousand views (CPM).
$14,879.04, his first five-figure month. He started earning between $20 and $30 for every one thousand views (CPM). October: $11,622
$11,622 November : $30,782.18
: $30,782.18 December: $41,080.62
$41,080.62 Total for 2019: $121,000 (after YouTube's cut)
Jikh said he spent around $10,000 to build a studio and buy camera equipment and spends five to six hours per week doing research for his videos, three to four hours filming, and 10 to 18 hours on editing. He doesn't have a talent agent or manager, he said.
Jikh said he learned to make more money by including mid-roll ads, which can run in videos lasting over 10 minutes. They can be skippable or non-skippable, and creators can place them manually or have them automatically placed by YouTube.
"You can strategically place ads wherever you want," he said. "If you in the middle of talking about something important, place an ad before you say what it is. I try to place an ad every 3 to 4 minutes, just finding a natural break in the video to place it."
He said he also earns money online through Patreon, Amazon links, affiliate marketing, and hopes to add sponsored content to the mix in 2020.
For more on how to become a successful influencer, according to YouTube and Instagram stars, check out these Business Insider Prime posts: | January 2020 (2) December 2019 (28) November 2019 (19) October 2019 (21) September 2019 (21) August 2019 (22) July 2019 (22) June 2019 (20) May 2019 (19) April 2019 (22) March 2019 (21) February 2019 (20) January 2019 (22) December 2018 (21) November 2018 (20) October 2018 (18) September 2018 (15) August 2018 (23) July 2018 (22) June 2018 (18) May 2018 (22) April 2018 (22) March 2018 (20) February 2018 (18) January 2018 (24) December 2017 (29) November 2017 (21) October 2017 (22) September 2017 (20) August 2017 (23) July 2017 (21) June 2017 (22) May 2017 (22) April 2017 (20) March 2017 (23) February 2017 (18) January 2017 (22) December 2016 (28) November 2016 (20) October 2016 (21) September 2016 (21) August 2016 (23) July 2016 (19) June 2016 (23) May 2016 (22) April 2016 (21) March 2016 (25) February 2016 (21) January 2016 (21) December 2015 (28) November 2015 (19) October 2015 (20) September 2015 (22) August 2015 (21) July 2015 (24) June 2015 (20) May 2015 (19) April 2015 (22) March 2015 (22) February 2015 (20) January 2015 (20) December 2014 (23) November 2014 (19) October 2014 (19) September 2014 (22) August 2014 (21) July 2014 (23) June 2014 (21) May 2014 (22) April 2014 (23) March 2014 (21) February 2014 (20) January 2014 (24) December 2013 (22) November 2013 (21) October 2013 (21) September 2013 (22) August 2013 (22) July 2013 (20) June 2013 (26) May 2013 (27) April 2013 (25) March 2013 (26) February 2013 (25) January 2013 (27) December 2012 (27) November 2012 (24) October 2012 (28) September 2012 (24) August 2012 (29) July 2012 (23) June 2012 (25) May 2012 (30) April 2012 (28) March 2012 (28) February 2012 (23) January 2012 (25) December 2011 (25) November 2011 (27) October 2011 (26) September 2011 (22) August 2011 (24) July 2011 (24) June 2011 (21) May 2011 (20) April 2011 (20) March 2011 (22) February 2011 (18) January 2011 (21) December 2010 (19) November 2010 (22) October 2010 (22) September 2010 (23) August 2010 (21) July 2010 (22) June 2010 (20) May 2010 (22) April 2010 (22) March 2010 (24) February 2010 (18) January 2010 (17) December 2009 (25) November 2009 (17) October 2009 (20) September 2009 (21) August 2009 (16) July 2009 (12) June 2009 (7) May 2009 (6) April 2009 (8) March 2009 (8) February 2009 (8) January 2009 (11) December 2008 (5) November 2008 (12) October 2008 (20) September 2008 (15) August 2008 (12) July 2008 (20) June 2008 (22) May 2008 (24) April 2008 (22) March 2008 (21) February 2008 (20) January 2008 (20) December 2007 (8) November 2007 (15) October 2007 (20) September 2007 (17) August 2007 (21) July 2007 (18) June 2007 (21) May 2007 (19) April 2007 (17) March 2007 (15) February 2007 (16) January 2007 (23) December 2006 (21) November 2006 (25) October 2006 (11) September 2006 (20) August 2006 (22) July 2006 (15) June 2006 (24) May 2006 (13) April 2006 (10) March 2006 (11) February 2006 (15) January 2006 (27) December 2005 (26) November 2005 (21) October 2005 (8) September 2005 (7) | 1 |
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dial H for Hero #10 by Sam Humphries, Joe Quinones, Jordan Gibson, and Dave Sharpe.
For quite some time comics have been having fun with alternate universes. Marvel and DC have had multiverses both big and small, and 'what if' stories abound. Some of these alternate takes on classic characters even become icons in and of themselves. Soviet Superman from Superman: Red Son, Thomas Wayne Batman from Flashpoint and -- potentially the most popular -- Miles Morales from the now-defunct Ultimate Marvel Universe.
While many of those alternates are short-lived, some of them still manage to capture the imagination. This is definitely the case for the terrifying the Harli-Quinnitor from Dial H for Hero #10.
Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view.
RELATED: Transformers and Nina Turtles Just Sneaked Into the DC Universe (Kinda)
As a sort of cultural icon and staple Halloween costume, Harley Quinn likely needs very little in the way of an introduction. She is a frequent accomplice of the Joker who was originally introduced in the superb episode, Mad Love, of Paul Dini's The New Batman Adventures. She's a wise-cracking bad-ass with a whole array of comically large weaponry and iconic costumes.
The other half of this new character, however, may need slightly more explanation. This other piece of this puzzle, for those unfamiliar, is the Anti-Monitor, whose very existence is tied to the nature of the DCU. In order to make a long story short; in the DCU there is both positive and anti-matter. Because of this there are two beings, sons of the super-celestial Perpetua, referred to as the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor. They are beings of immense power, and the darker half of the pair -- the Anti-Monitor -- poses a threat to all of existence. For a laugh, Sam Humphries has decided to combine the world-ending power of the Anti-Monitor with the hilarious and violent nihilism of a character that he has first-hand experience writing, Harley Quinn.
RELATED: How The New 52 Kept Us From Justice League/Transformers
It's on this quest that Sam Humphries and Co. bring fans to a universe of combined characters. The heroes of this world include Disco Troy, Starborg, Super-Martian, Wonderhawk and in mix-ups with our two lead characters, Lobo Kick You and Miguel the Street, who is a sentient street capable of teleporting to wherever they're needed. All of these combo heroes are working together to take down the gigantic armored and awesome monstrosity that is the Harli-Quinnitor. The gigantic foe features all of the power of the Anti-Monitor and all of the 'puddins' of the Joker's sometimes lover.
While the main story has little to do with The Harli-Quinnitor, she does a fair amount of show-stealing. As everything with Miguel and Mister Thunderbolt is playing out, the character who is officially the greatest mash-up that we didn't know we needed is laying waste to the combined city of Gothamopolis in a scene of destruction. Cars are stomped, buildings are cut in half by The Harli-Quinnitors massive red and black fists and as the issue is coming to a close, the villain strikes a pose that is reminiscent of Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still and blasts the world of combined heroes apart.
It's not often in comics that the villains prevail, and while the true fate of this planet is still vague, as the main story whisks us away just as the Harli-Quinnitor fires its beam, it's hard not to root for the villain this time around.
Dial H for Hero #10 hits shelves in January of 2020.
NEXT: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey Celebrate 2020 with a Fantabulous New Trailer
Share Tweet Email Copy Link Copied | The majority of workers around the world are significantly behind on their goals. But with a few simple steps, it's possible to catch up. | 1 |
Teresa (Babbie) Kelly (nee Ward)
Creagh, Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim.
Predeceased by her husband Packie and great-grand son Andrew.
Died Tuesday 31st December 2019 peacefully at Sligo University Hospital.
Sadly missed by her sons Sean (Longford) Pauric (Drumshanbo) and daughter Marie Tansey (Boyle), daughters-in-laws Mae and Lucy and son-in-law Sean, grandchildren, great-grand children, relatives friends and neighbours.
May She Rest In Peace
Reposing at Shivnan’s Funeral Home, Ballyfarnon, Co Roscommon, on Thursday 2nd January 2020 from 5pm to 8pm. Requiem Mass on Friday in St Patrick’s Church, Drumshanbo at 11am followed by burial in Drumshanbo New Cemetery. | Sunderland weather forecast for Thursday, January 2.
What will the weather be like in South Shields this morning?
This morning is likely to be windy, and gales are expected across the hills with strong gusts also possible at times and temperatures will reach 8C by 11am.
What about this afternoon?
Thursday, January 2 is expected to be quite overcast with a chance of rain, however it will remain mostly dry and temperatures will be quite mild moving into early evening.
What will the weather be like this evening and tonight in South Shields?
Chances of rain will decrease, but overall the night will be very cloudy but temperatures will reach a high of 10C.
What will the weather be like tomorrow?
A breezy, colder but sunnier Friday is on the horizon for January 3, with some showers possible later in the day and temperatures of 6C.
What is the long-term forecast for the North East?
The Met Office UK outlook for Monday January 6 to Wednesday, January 15 said: “It looks likely to stay unsettled across the northwest with spells of locally heavy rain and strengthening winds interspersed with scattered showers.
“These showers could turn to snow over higher ground.
“Some rain is still possible at times but any rain is likely to be short lived. | 1 |
By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
The Abaco Chamber of Commerce’s president yesterday urged the government to “get a move on” in developing a comprehensive plan for the island’s post-Hurricane Dorian revival.
Ken Hutton reiterated to Tribune Business that there will be no major improvement in Marsh Harbour until its main strip is fully cleared of all debris, and a structured road map for its reconstruction is agreed by all stakeholders.
“The longer we take to put together a plan then the harder it will be to control things moving forward,” he said. Mr Hutton added that the government also needed to control “persons rebuilding sub-standard accommodations”, and prevent them from “rebuilding in places where they shouldn’t be, and repairing structures that may not be structurally sound”.
Mr Hutton said his message to the government was “to encourage them to get a move on”, while acknowledging that the sort of rebuilding plan required by Abaco takes time to develop and will not materialise overnight.
The Abaco Chamber chief said more than 80 percent of homes in central Abaco have been destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, and added: “The housing situation is precarious at best. They are being repaired, but are they being repaired to the standard? Is there mould remediation taking place? Are they adhering to a better building code, or are people just putting things together just to move into somewhere?”
Mr Hutton, though, backed the government’s intention to make crown land available for the development of housing subdivisions so Abaconians can rebuild. “I think it is an excellent idea for the government to make crown land available for subdivisions,” he added, suggesting it can help control the “wayward construction” that may occur as a result of the current situation. | By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
Many Bahamian jewellery retailers shrugged off early holiday season pessimism to report “good” Christmas sales that beat 2018 figures by up to eight percent.
Denise Cooper, area retail manager for Colombian Emeralds, told Tribune Business: “This is our best year yet. Best one we have had in a little while. We were up eight percent from last year with our smaller items moving more than the larger ones.
“We’re hoping that this would carry on into the New Year, but the majority of our sales - some 90 percent of our sales - came from locals. You know that in January locals don’t really spend, so we have to go back and depend on our tourists. Last year we had 75 percent of our sales that came from locals, with the rest from our tourists.”
Ms Cooper added: “Bear in mind I include our Freeport stores in this increase as well, and you know the situation in Freeport with Hurricane Dorian, which attributed to a small increase, but overall it is still an increase and we are happy.”
Andrew Parker, marketing manager for the Coin of the Realm, said of the Christmas season: “The volume is up and it is a good year.” He was unable to give a percentage on how much sales had increased compared to the prior year, and added: “We haven’t calculated that yet. We won’t calculate that until after New Year’s Eve for the end of the month.”
Navin Biswal, chief financial officer for Park Lane Jewellers, said: “Christmas sales were good, but it is down from last year. I don’t have the numbers by how much it was down compared to last year, but I can say that smaller items were moving more than the larger items this year.”
Prior to Christmas Eve, some downtown Nassau jewellers had told Tribune Business they were concerned the festive spending season will be a softer than usual, with one saying: “We were a bit concerned because Christmas falls during the middle of the week, and whenever that happens business is normally a little different.”
Another told this newspaper that their Christmas season forecast was “not particularly outstanding”, blaming this on “a combination of things” from Hurricane Dorian to the value-added tax increase, in addition to the gap between the cost of living and what persons have to spend “widening”. | 2 |
A couple in their twenties are being sought by police after high-end bottles of scotch and whiskey were stolen from at least six Calgary stores in December.
The Calgary Police Service issued a news release on Tuesday asking the public to help them identify suspects captured in surveillance images at Liquor Depot stores.
It's believed the thieves hit at least six Liquor Depot stores in December including:
Dec. 4, at 11:50 a.m. – Liquor Depot, 120 36 Street S.E.
Dec. 17, at 7:15 p.m. – Riverbend Liquor Depot, 8338 18 Street S.E.
Dec. 20, at 8:50 p.m. – Dover Liquor Depot, 3525 26 Avenue S.E.
Dec. 23, at 9:20 p.m. – Elbow Drive Liquor Depot, 10233 Elbow Drive S.W.
Dec. 26, at noon – Altadore Liquor Depot, 3504 19 Street S.W.
Dec. 27, at 10:50 p.m. – North Hill Liquor Depot, 1636 14 Avenue N.W.
Police said that in each incident, a man and woman in their twenties entered the stores and removed high-value bottles without paying for them.
Police also released these images of the suspects in the liquor thefts. (CPS)
The woman is white with long dark hair and glasses, police said.
The man is also white with blond hair.
Anyone with information about the identity of the suspects is asked to contact the police non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. | Liquor store thieves are running rampant in Alberta to the point of threatening the viability of their workforce, says the CEO of a large booze retailing chain.
Jamie Burns, who oversees Alcanna, the parent company of Liquor Depot stores, made the comments last month and before Calgary police sought public assistance Tuesday in arresting a couple suspected in high-value thefts from six of the chain’s Calgary locations.
Police say that between Dec. 4 and 27, a man and a woman in their 20s entered a half-dozen Liquor Depot stores throughout the city, making off with expensive bottles of scotch and other whiskies.
Burns said that’s typical of one kind of theft being carried out against an increasing number of retail outlets in the province.
Others, he notes, have been violent holdups that have left staff members traumatized.
“The crime is killing us, it’s getting worse and worse,” said Burns.
“At some point, nobody will want to work at these stores, it’s just awful . . . it’s really an epidemic.”
On some days, he said, multiple numbers of the company’s Alberta stores are victimized.
Burns said police have told him there’s collaboration among the criminals and big money involved in the activity.
“This isn’t someone putting a mickey in their pocket when nobody’s looking, it’s an organized business,” he said.
“We’re into the millions of dollars lost.”
As of last September, Edmonton had recorded 5,000 liquor store thefts, a 300 per cent increase over 2018.
In some cases, stores are swarmed by groups of thieves who brazenly stuff duffel bags with stolen booze.
Burns said Calgary liquor outlets have also been hard hit.
In 2019, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis acknowledged the dramatic increase in crime directed at liquor stores on its website, urging operators to employ video surveillance, deadbolt locks, alarm systems and the full strength of prosecution.
“This bulletin is to advise liquor store licensees of an increase in blatant and unconcealed liquor thefts from stores in Calgary and Edmonton,” it states.
“These thefts have been linked to low-level organized crime groups.”
In the December Liquor Depot thefts, police say both suspects are Caucasian, the woman with long dark hair and glasses while the man had blond hair.
Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
BKaufmann@postmedia.com
Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn | 3.333333 |
PATIALA: As the state cabinet recently gave an in-principle approval to amend the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, to create land banks in rural areas to boost industrial development, Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjit Singh Bains on Wednesday said his party would fight the amendments as it was an attempt to grab village common land.Interacting with media here, Bains said 18,000 industrial units in Punjab were lying shut and no effort was being made to revive these.“If the government is serious about industrialisation, it should acquire land as per the existing policy,” the MLA said.He said land was being grabbed in the name of industrialisation, while the fact remained that politicians were now eying village common lands even as the Punjab Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, clearly stated that common land could not be transferred in the name of an individual. “LIP will soon file a contempt petition in the high court,” he said.Bains added that LIP had decided to launch a statewide campaign against theproposal. | Representative image.
PILIBHIT: A case has been registered against Kishanlal, BJP MLA from Barkhera here, his nephew and unknown persons for allegedly beating up the gunner of the district magistrate, a police officer said on Wednesday. Police has registered a case on the orders of Special Additional Session Judge Vijay Kumar, the officer said. Constable Mohit Kumar Gurjar, posted as a gunner of the DM, alleged that he was beaten up by the MLA and his nephew.Superintendent of Police Abhishek Dixit told reporters that sub inspector Naresh Pal Singh, posted at Sunagarhi police station, is probing the matter and gave the assurance that the investigation will be impartial. | 1.666667 |
Wilsonville Police Log
The Wilsonville Police Department is under contract with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Information for the police log comes from the public record, and all people named therein are considered innocent of all charges until proven guilty in court.
12/09 1:27 p.m. A BB gun was found in the 9400 block of S.W. Wilsonville Road.
12/09 3:07 p.m. Damage and a burglary was reported at a home under renovation in the 11000 block of Valencia Lane.
12/09 5:05 p.m. Shoplifting was reported in the 29000 block of S.W. Town Center Loop W. n 12/09 8:36 p.m. A 4-year-old, was taken into custody for Assault III, criminal mistreatment and Assault IV.
12/10 1:54 p.m. A metallic gold bicycle was stolen from the 2800 block of S.W. Wagner Street.
12/11 6:27 p.m. Counterfeit money was reported as used at a location in the 8600 block of Elligsen Road.
12/13 3:17 p.m. A hit-and-run was reported in the 8800 block of S.W. Ash Meadows Circle.
12/13 8:27 p.m. Shoplifting was reported in the 29000 block of S.W. Town Center Loop W.
12/13 6:53 p.m. A 30-year-old man was cited for failure to report as a sex offender.
12/14 3:38 p.m. A license plate was stolen from a 2009 Nissan in the 30000 block of S.W. Boones Ferry Road.
12/14 5:45 p.m. Auto parts were shoplifted from the 9700 block of S.W. Wilsonville Road.
12/14 11:08 p.m. A 48-year-old was cited for Theft III.
12/15 8:10 a.m. A 34-year-old man was taken into custody for a warrant service.
12/15 1:24 p.m. A license plate was stolen from a Jeep in the 8600 block of Holly Street.
12/15 11:08 p.m. A 39-year-old man was taken into custody for possession of meth and contempt of court. | Two pre-teen boys were being held by police Wednesday afternoon in connection with a fire in Arnhem that left two members of a family dead, and two other family members critically injured. Fireworks were being investigated as the cause of the fatal blaze based on security camera footage recovered at the scene, police said.
Police took the two boys, aged 12 and 13, into custody, police said on social media. They are being held on suspicion of causing a fatal arson.
Twee tieners van 12 en 13 jr oud zijn aangehouden in Arnhem in verband met brandstichting afgelopen nacht in een flat. Een kind van 4 en zijn 36-jarige vader kwamen daarbij om het leven. pic.twitter.com/jkjCfPHMCf — Darya (@D62Darya) January 1, 2020
It happened just after the turn of the new year, at about 1 a.m. The fire began in the ground floor hallway of a high-rise apartment building on Gelderseplein.
All four victims were found trapped in an elevator, which shut down as the building lost electricity due to the fire. The father of the family, a 39-year-old man, and his 4-year-old son were killed.
The 36-year-old mother and their 8-year-old daughter were seriously injured. The lift and elevator shaft filled with smoke, rendering the victims unconscious.
The victims were not residents of the building but visiting an apartment in the building, police said. A portion of the apartment building was evacuated by firefighters, though some residents were allowed to stay in the building.
Brand met gewonden in appartementencomplex in #Arnhem Gelderse Plein pic.twitter.com/pFtMkHAZKH — Berrie van Helden (@berrievanhelden) January 1, 2020
Several people were rescued from smoke-filled apartments, according to newspaper AD. Firefighters who responded to the incident said they feared they would find more victims.
"The fire alarm went off. Just before that I had heard fireworks, so I thought that was the reason and that it was not too bad. But when I went outside, the hall was full of smoke," one resident told AD.
"It will piss me off if there were actually fireworks in the portico," Vivare housing corporation boss Eric Angenent told RTL Nieuws. He called for an end to selling fireworks to consumers because of the fatal arson at the Arnhem building, a building Vivare manages.
Legal fireworks sales in the Netherlands set a record over the past week. Sales in the country hit 77 million euros. | 1.333333 |
PHOENIX — If you want to work for U-Haul, you better quit that smoking habit.
Starting in February, the do-it-yourself moving company headquartered in Phoenix will no longer hire nicotine users in Arizona and 20 other states where the company says this type of policy is lawful.
“We’re hoping to build a workforce that is free from nicotine addiction as a whole,” said Jessica Lopez, chief of staff for U-Haul.
Workers hired prior to February will not be impacted, and their jobs are not in jeopardy. They will instead have access to the company’s nicotine cessation program to help them quit smoking.
Lopez said the new policy is part of U-Haul’s efforts to establish one of the healthiest corporate cultures in the United States and Canada. The company has a “Healthier You” program launched in 2016 to help employees in four areas: health, mindset, nutrition and fitness.
“Each year it has been our mission to increase our wellness benefits program’s resources to help the needs of all team members and families to conquer their health goals,” she said. “This nicotine/tobacco-free hiring policy is the next step.”
The new policy also comes after U-Haul broke ground on a new conference and fitness center at its Midtown campus near Central Avenue and 3rd Street in Phoenix.
When it’s completed in December 2020, the center will house a medical clinic, a full-size basketball court, a two-lane track, and cardio and weightlifting equipment, among other amenities.
“If we take care of our team members, they take care of our business,” Lopez said.
Follow @GriseldaZetino | U-Haul to stop hiring smokers and nicotine users in Arizona, 20 other states
If you smoke and want to work at U-Haul International, you had better submit your job application pretty soon.
The truck and trailer rental company — one of Arizona's largest employers — plans to stop interviewing and hiring nicotine users. The nicotine-free policy, which includes e-cigarettes and vaping products, will go into effect in Arizona and 20 other states where the company operates starting Feb. 1. People hired before then won't be affected.
The Phoenix-based company, which employs around 4,000 people in Arizona and 30,000 across the U.S. and Canada, expects the policy will help create a more healthy corporate culture.
U-Haul on Dec. 10 broke ground on a 54,208-square-foot conference and fitness center that will become a focal point of its campus at 2727 N. Central Ave.
The company also offers other programs including one focused on nutrition, fitness and other aspects of wellness.
Better health and lowest costs
Arizona is among 21 states where it is legal not to hire people who use nicotine, the company said. Arizona also is one of 17 states where employers can choose not hire and are allowed to test for nicotine, though U-Haul hasn't yet decided to do that.
"In our continued efforts to enhance our wellness program and decrease healthcare costs, we have become more aware of the medical side effects of using nicotine and tobacco products," said Jessica Lopez, U-Haul's chief of staff, in an email to The Arizona Republic.
For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com.
"Taking care of our team members is the primary focus and goal" of the new policy, she added. "Decreasing healthcare costs will be a bonus."
Lopez said U-Haul carefully analyzed state and local laws and crafted the policy "so as not to conflict with or violate any legal protections for nicotine users."
U-Haul encourages staff members not to use nicotine by waiving a wellness fee that otherwise applies, she added. However, the company doesn't require tobacco users to pay a health care insurance premium.
A gradual trend
Other states where U-Haul's new no-nicotine hiring policy will be implemented are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
No-nicotine hiring policies began to surface more prominently several years ago, especially at hospitals and other health businesses, but relatively few companies have adopted them.
One exception is Alaska Airlines, which has had a no-nicotine policy since 1985. The program has been "largely successful" with most employees "grateful for the pro-health stance of the company," said Alexis Myers, a company spokeswoman.
Alaska Airlines implemented the policy for two key reasons. The first involved health-care costs and health consequences for the workforce, she said. The second reflected the difficulty of smoking on planes and in many places around airports.
"Many jobs at an airline are not conducive to taking nicotine breaks, and customer service may be negatively impacted by employees who are experiencing nicotine withdrawal," Myers added.
As a general rule, job applicants at the airline must be nicotine-free for at least six months before seeking employment.
People who apply for U-Haul jobs in Arizona and the other affected states will see statements discussing the nicotine-free hiring policy on applications, and they will be questioned about their nicotine use.
In states where testing is allowed, applicants might need to undergo nicotine screening in the future.
Career opportunities with the company can be viewed at uhauljobs.com.
Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8616. | 4 |
The U.S. Army hopes a new marketing campaign will show potential recruits a different side of military service.
The campaign, called “What’s Your Warrior?”, steers away from showcasing the glory of the battle-hardened infantryman that has dominated marketing pushes for decades.
It instead focuses on the variety of career fields available to recruits — from space and cybersecurity jobs to science and medical positions. The campaign launched in November and has already resulted in a 35 percent jump in visitors filling out the initial forms on the Army’s website, compared to November 2018.
Brig. Gen. Alex Fink, chief of Army enterprise marketing, is behind “What’s Your Warrior?”. He said filling out those forms is just the first step.
“It's great and fine and dandy to fill out a business reply card online,” Fink said. “But, how does that translate into actually getting folks to make a commitment?”
That’s where the individual relationship between recruit and recruiter comes in.
Dan Boyce/CPR News Colorado Springs Army Recruiting Company Commander Josh Trenkel speaks with new recruits during a tour of Fort Carson Army Base.
Colorado Springs Army Recruiting Company Cmdr. Josh Trenkel said his recruiters are using “What’s Your Warrior?” to simply start the conversation about joining.
“That's where the art of it is,” Trenkel said. “They really need to know how to take that message, and give it to the students coming out of school these days and make sure that they know the opportunities that are available to them.”
Trenkel was supervising a tour at Fort Carson Army Base for brand new recruits. The group took turns in a shooting simulator, peeked inside military vehicles and were treated to an old Army standard, a Meal Ready to Eat (MRE), for lunch.
Crystal Townsend was sitting on the grass with other new recruits, opening her vegetable crumble MRE.
“When I was younger, when I was 18, 19, I did want to join, but I wasn't really competent in myself,” Townsend, now 35, said. “I didn't know anybody in the military and I wasn't really sure I could do it.”
Dan Boyce/CPR News New Army recruits try out a shooting simulation at Fort Carson Army Base.
Townsend ended up in law enforcement, rising in the ranks to become a deputy sheriff in El Paso County. It’s a stable job in a professional career, but as she got older and closer to the maximum age for enlistment, she found herself having regrets.
“It was just eating at me. And I finally said, ‘You know what, I’m gonna go for it,’” she said.
Sitting near her were younger men and women just out of high school and looking for more than the classic Army experience as a gunner or infantryman. One woman nearby was looking to go into communications, another man hoping to jumpstart a career as a firefighter. The range of ambitions these recruits have is exactly how the Army is hoping to sell itself through “What’s Your Warrior?”
The first ad in the campaign looks more like a trailer for an effects-laden superhero movie than a traditional recruitment pitch, with helicopters flying through mountain passes and microscopic cells dividing on screen. | New Army chief Naravane extends wishes to people in the new year
01 Jan 2020, 10:50AM IST
Source: Times Now
The new Army chief Lieutenant General MM Naravane on Wednesday extended wishes to people in the new year and hoped that the country will make huge progress in this decade. General Naravane took over as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on Tuesday, succeeding General Bipin Rawat who has become India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). MM also said that India needs to pay more attention to its border along China and asserted that the force is capable of dealing with any security challenge. | 1 |
The Trump Winery in Virginia retained its undocumented workers until the end of the harvest in order to protect the wine despite knowing about their immigration status, a lawyer advising one of the laborers let go has claimed.
Anibal Romero, an immigration lawyer who has represented many former workers at Trump Organization properties, made the allegation to The New York Times after a number of undocumented laborers were fired this week from the winery.
Romero noted that Univision reported back in May the existence of undocumented Hispanic migrant workers at the Trump Winery, including some who had been there for years, and that their fake documents were never checked.
"Getting rid of them at that point could have caused problems for the wine," Romero told The New York Times, adding that he believes the vineyard management waited until the harvest season was complete to let the workers go.
The Trump Winery is a 1,300-acre estate in Virginia with a large 45-room hotel named Albemarle Estate with 10 guest rooms, and a 227-acre vineyard that produces 40,000 cases of wine a year.
Newsweek asked both The Trump Organization and Romero for comment by email and will update this story if any is provided.
The winery is not the only Trump property found using undocumented workers despite its owner President Donald Trump's hardline stance on the issue. The president campaigned to kick undocumented migrants out of the U.S. and is building a fence along the southern border.
In July, a group of 21 former Trump Organization workers who staffed his golf clubs and were facing deportation sought a meeting with the president, urging him in an open letter to "do the right thing."
"We are modest people who represent the dreams of the 11 million undocumented men, women and children who live and work in this country," the group wrote. "We love America and want to talk to you about helping to give us a chance to become legal."
They wrote that the Trump family and their associates know them and "will recall how hard we worked for you, your family and your golf clubs."
"You know we are hard workers and that we are not criminals or seeking a free ride in America," the letter read. "We believe you have a heart and will do the right thing to find a home for us here in America so that we can step out of the shadows and not deport us and our friends and family."
This article was updated with more information on the Albemarle Estate hotel. | Anibal Romero, an immigration lawyer who has represented a number of former Trump workers and is advising one of those fired from Trump Winery this week, said the pool of undocumented laborers at Trump properties has always been an open secret.
“He’s benefited from undocumented labor for a very long time,” Mr. Romero said.
A year ago, a New York Times story featured undocumented workers who served at Mr. Trump’s properties and had interactions with Mr. Trump himself. That article has since led to others from The Times, Univision and The Washington Post, which first reported on Tuesday the latest round of firings at Trump Winery.
Mr. Romero said he believed the Trump Organization thought it could get away with continuing to hire undocumented laborers, who feared repercussions that could disrupt their lives or livelihoods even though some had worked at Trump properties for a decade. But he said that since the Times story last year, more have emerged, empowered to speak. He now represents about 40 undocumented people who have worked at Trump properties.
“These workers have been there for many years,” Mr. Romero said. “It’s sad to hear about their firing. But many of them have been able to move on and get better paying jobs. At first when you hear about them, you feel bad. But then you realize that maybe it wasn’t the best environment to work in.”
In an audio recording from one of the firings this week at Trump Winery, a manager told a worker named Omar Miranda that the company had completed a review of immigration paperwork and found that his “did not seem genuine or was insufficient.” | 4 |
PNN/ Bethlehem/
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said that no charges have been filed against any Israeli or Palestinian, and the investigation has not been opened.
In an interview with the Hebrew-language Maariv, Bensouda said: “The International Criminal Court is acting according to the principle of personal responsibility for crimes. It does not deal with conflicts between countries and it does not sue countries.”
“If and when it is opened, the General Prosecutor’s office will manage an independent investigation with no inquiries, and which will be based only on proofs. In the court’s process, according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, every suspect enjoys the required legal guarantees, including the presumption of innocence from crime until his guilt is proven, and the right to a lawyer of his choosing.”
Last week, the ICC said it will launch a full investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian territories, a move welcomed by the Palestinian government.
Bensouda said the preliminary examination into war crimes, opened in 2015, had rendered enough information to meet all criteria for opening an investigation.
Over 30 lawyers in the Palestinian occupied territories helped draft the fresh dossier.
Gaza, with a population of more than 1.8 million, has been under siege by the Israeli regime since June 2007. The blockade has caused a decline in the standards of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty.
A UN fact-finding mission said in March that Israeli forces committed rights violations during their crackdown against Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip last year that may amount to “war crimes,” urging the regime’s military to prevent its snipers from using lethal force against the demonstrators. | Two teenage boys from the Jewish-only settlement of Bat Ayin have been arrested for attacking a pair of cops disguised as Palestinian laborers in what the right-wing legal aid group defending them has condemned as a “provocation.”
The youths pounced on the officers dressed as Palestinian technicians, hitting and pepper-spraying them, after the men refused to give a clear explanation of why they were walking around the center of the West Bank settlement on Tuesday, local media reported. They were subsequently taken in for questioning and, their lawyer Moshe Polsky has claimed, held overnight. The boys’ names were not released as they were both minors. | 1.666667 |
(Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA
The report is out on Donald Trump's tax cut and it is not pretty. Just as we expected it helped corporations and not the people. David Cay Johnston said the tax cut scam was nothing but a future tax increase with interest. He was unequivocal in the clip below as he slammed the tax cut.
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy issued the report Corporate Tax Avoidance in the First Year of the Trump Tax Law.
Executive Summary This study provides a comprehensive overview of profitable corporations' effective tax rates in 2018, the first year that companies were subject to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the tax law signed by President Donald Trump at the end of 2017. The law lowered the statutory federal corporate income tax rate to 21 percent (a 40 percent decrease from the previous 35 percent rate) and made other changes affecting what companies pay. ITEP's examination of Fortune 500 companies' financial filings identifies 379 companies that were profitable in 2018 and that provided enough information to calculate effective federal income tax rates, which is the share of 2018 pretax profits they paid in federal income taxes in that year. This report only includes companies that were profitable in 2018 and would thus be expected to owe income tax for that year. (The corporate income tax is a tax on profits.) For most of these companies, their effective federal income tax rate was much lower than the statutory corporate tax rate of 21 percent. This is by design. When drafting the tax law, lawmakers could have eliminated special breaks and loopholes in the corporate tax to offset the cost of reducing the statutory rate. Instead, the new law introduced many new breaks and loopholes, though it eliminated some old ones. The unsurprising result: Profitable American corporations in 2018 collectively paid an average effective federal income tax rate of 11.3 percent on their 2018 income, barely more than half the 21 percent statutory tax rate. Key Findings: The 379 profitable corporations identified in this study paid an effective federal income tax rate of 11.3 percent on their 2018 income , slightly more than half the statutory 21 percent tax
, slightly more than half the statutory 21 percent tax 91 corporations did not pay federal income taxes on their 2018 U.S. income . These corporations include Amazon, Chevron, Halliburton and IBM. An ITEP study released in April 2019 examined 2018 Fortune 500 filings released to date and found 60 companies paid zero in federal income taxes. Now, all companies have released their 2018 financial filings, and this report reflects that.
. These corporations include Amazon, Chevron, Halliburton and IBM. An ITEP study released in April 2019 examined 2018 Fortune 500 filings released to date and found 60 companies paid zero in federal income taxes. Now, all companies have released their 2018 financial filings, and this report reflects that. Another 56 companies paid effective tax rates between 0 percent and 5 percent on their 2018 income. Their average effective tax rate was 2.2 percent. Other Findings: Fully half of the companies in our sample (195 out of 379) paid effective tax rates that were less than half the new statutory rate.
The sectors with the lowest effective corporate tax rates in 2018 were industrial machinery (-0.6%), utilities, gas and electric (-0.5 percent), motor vehicles & parts (1.5%), oil, gas & pipelines (3.6%), chemicals (4.4%), transportation (8.0%), engineering and construction (8.0%), miscellaneous services (8.3%), publishing and printing (9.8%), and financial (10.2%). Each of these industries paid, as a group, less than half the statutory 21 percent tax rate on their 2018 U.S. income.
The tax breaks identified in this report are highly concentrated among a few very large corporations. Just 25 companies claimed $37.1 billion in tax breaks in 2018. That's almost exactly half the $73.9 billion in tax subsidies claimed by all 379 companies in our study.
Just five companiesBank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Amazon, and Verizoncollectively enjoyed more than $16 billion in tax breaks in 2018.
The 11.3 percent average effective tax rate paid by profitable corporations is the lowest average effective rate identified by ITEP since it began publishing these studies in 1984.
Narrative is everything. It is essential that we are clear that Trump's tax cut, for the wealthy and the corporations, is nothing but a tax increase with interest for the rest of us. | Frank Clemente and William Rice from Americans for Tax Fairness issued a scathing editorial in the Los Angeles Times Wednesday about the failed Republican tax bill that not only left the middle-class behind it has failed in nearly everything promised.
Jan. 1, 2020, marks the two-year anniversary of the enacting of the GOP tax cut, and there is plenty of data showing the impact didn’t meet the promises made by the president.
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“Rushed through Congress by a Republican majority, the Trump-GOP tax cuts were promoted as a boon for the middle class,” wrote Clemente and Rice. “Yet in 2020, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the richest 1% of taxpayers will get an average tax cut of around $50,000, 75 times more than the average cut for the bottom 80 percent.”
One significant reason the law helped the wealthy so much more is that it employed the tired Republican idea of “trickle-down economics,” which gives hefty tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations saying that it will filter down to workers and filter through the economy. The reality is that corporations chose not to invest in employees but stock buy-backs and other corporate benefits.
To make matters worse, the law created so many tax loopholes that tax collection from corporations collapsed. With fewer revenues coming into the federal government, the deficit Republicans once claimed was too high, has ballooned to the highest ever.
“ITEP found that the effective corporate tax rate for 379 profitable Fortune 500 corporations was just 11.3 percent last year,” wrote Clemente and Rice. “That’s about half the rate Trump’s new law established, which slashed the previous rate by 40 percent. More than 90 corporate titans — including Amazon, Chevron, FedEx, IBM, General Motors and Netflix — paid zero in federal income taxes last year.”
The called the claim that the tax cuts would benefit the middle class “phony.” Trump even claimed that the new law would “cost me a fortune,” as a wealthy taxpayer. One of the greatest pieces of evidence that it was all a lie came from Trump’s last-minute promise before the 2018 election that he was working on a “middle-class tax cut.”
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“It’s going to be a tax reduction of 10 percent for the middle class,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Oct. 23, 2018. “Business will not enter into it, and this will be on top of the tax reduction that the middle class has already gotten, and we’re putting in a resolution probably this week.”
Over a year later, neither Trump nor Republicans have proposed such a tax cut.
“Trump and his family have undoubtedly benefited by millions of dollars from at least five features of the law, ranging from lower top tax rates to a weakened estate tax,” wrote Clemente and Rice. “Of course, we can’t be sure exactly how much they’ve saved because Trump refuses to release his tax returns.”
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Trump claimed that the GOP tax cut would result in a raise of $4,000 for working families. His
Trump promised his corporate tax cuts would result in an average pay raise of $4,000 for working families. His economic advisers claimed $9,000. Their report also said that wages would increase as a result of the tax cuts. All three of the claims were false.
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“Census data show that median family income instead grew by about $500 in the first year after the tax cuts, the smallest annual increase in five years,” Clemente and Rice said. “A close look at [the] Bureau of Labor Statistics figures shows that the growth rate in wages was just 0.4 percent in the two years since the tax cut. Compare that with wage growth of 0.7 percent in the last two years of President Obama’s administration.”
Meanwhile, the wealthy scored big. “In 2018, owners of the elite group of non-corporate businesses that earned more than $1 million received nearly half the benefits from the part of the law touted as a small-business tax cut,” the report said.
Still, Trump intends to run his 2020 campaign touting his economic success. Clearly, that success was only isolated to a few.
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Read the full editorial at The LA Times. | 3.25 |
Wisconsin lawmakers are locked in a dispute over who qualifies to be honored during February’s Black History Month after a senior Republican suggested a list where the majority of named picks were white.
Republican state senator Scott Allen circulated a resolution recognizing 10 historical figures for celebration. But six of those who’d been active in Wisconsin’s Underground Railroad, helping southern slaves escape to freedom turned out to be white, according to the State Journal.
The choice provoked a backlash from local black lawmakers, who said Allen circumvented the state’s legislature’s black caucus from choosing how to honor the contributions of black Americans.
“If this was intended to be without controversy, you failed,” state senator Lena Taylor wrote to Allen in response. “Thank you Massa Allen for pickin’ whose we should honuh suh. We sho ain’t capable of thinkin’ for ourselves, suh.”
Taylor, a black Milwaukee Democrat, asked why a white politician would be leading the selection, which includes six white abolitionists, four black slaves and unnamed members of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Mohican Indians.
“The fact that this even needs to be discussed is a reflection of where we are as a society,” she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I wake up every day as a black woman. I’m not exactly sure what it is that Scott Allen believes he knows better than me.”
But Allen told the newspaper that the white people named in his resolution “exhibited tremendous courage to fight for just causes” and that his aim is to draw more white people into Black History Month celebrations.
In a memo to lawmakers he wrote that it is important to view African American history “in a way that raises the prominence of that part of our mutual history so that it is the center of our attention” and to “demonstrate our unity by highlighting an aspect of American history”.
“When we say that it has nothing to do with us, as European Americans, and that we should not be involved in Black History Month and the celebration of Black History Month, we’re missing the larger point,” he told the newspaper.
This is the third year in succession that Republican state lawmakers have collided with accusations of cultural appropriation over the celebrations.
Earlier this year, they blocked the black caucus’s list of honorees until Democrats agreed to drop Milwaukee-born former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Republican party leaders argued that Kaepernick was too controversial.
In 2018, Allen complained that David Clarke, the controversial, Trump-supporting black Milwaukee sheriff, who once compared the Black Lives Matter movement to the Ku Klux Klan, had been left off the list. | I
f you think the impeachment circus that the Democrats have put on has been nothing more than one big waste of time doomed for inevitable failure in the Senate, you’re not the only one.
While this is the most partisan impeachment attempt in American history, the Democrat voter base doesn’t have as much faith that it’ll actually accomplish anything as their Democrat Representatives do.
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According to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports:
…Just 24% of all Likely U.S. Voters think the upcoming trial in the Senate will result in Trump’s removal from office, and that includes only 12% who say it’s Very Likely. Three-out-of-four voters (73%) say Trump is unlikely to be forced out of the presidency, with 47% who feel it’s Not At All Likely. Sixty percent (60%) of Democrats see Trump’s removal from office as unlikely, although that compares to 81% of Republicans and 78% of voters not affiliated with either major political party. Predictably, 69% of Democrats say the bigger problem for pro-impeachment senators is Republican party loyalty, while a nearly identical number (67%) of GOP voters think the bigger roadblock is a lack of convincing evidence against Trump. Unaffiliateds are evenly divided.
Eight out of ten Democrats support Trump’s impeachment and removal, and yet most still view the latter goal as dead on arrival in the Senate. Or to clarify, most correctly view impeachment as DOA in the Senate… assuming Pelosi ever submits the articles of impeachment. | 1.666667 |
Daylight Atheism
Back in 2003, in a top-secret international phone call, President George W. Bush urged French President Jacques Chirac to join America in invading Iraq on grounds that Christian nations must thwart the Satanic forces of Gog and Magog. Chirac was baffled by such crackpottery. A few French newspapers wrote derisive sneers about the born-again U.S. leader.
Today, it's de'jà vu all over again. Religious kooks in high office are an absurd facet of the Republican Trump administration.
Vice President Mike Pence is a hero of the evangelical Religious Right. He opposes the teaching of evolution in biology classes (even though evolution is a bedrock of biology). As Indiana governor, he signed a notorious "religious freedom" law to let fundamentalists treat gays cruelly. His wife teaches at a born-again Washington-area school that sends students to a Creation Museum which teaches that Planet Earth is just 6,000 years old and humans coexisted with dinosaurs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is a fundamentalist who thinks doomsday is coming. In a 2015 church talk, he said "politics is a never-ending struggle" until the rapture." In 2014, he told a church group that "Jesus Christ as our savior is truly the only solution for our world." Yet he's in charge of American foreign policy to billions of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and secular people.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos once told a gathering: "Our desire is to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God's kingdom." She advocates vouchers to funnel public money to fundamentalist schools.
Energy Secretary Rick Perry declared on Fox News that God "ordained" Donald Trump to be president that Trump is a divinely "chosen one."
Attorney General Bill Barr gave a Notre Dame University speech espousing "God's eternal law the divine wisdom by which the whole of creation is ordered."
Barr said "the Founding Generation were Christians" which isn't quite true. Many of the Founding Fathers were Deists, an early version of non-Christian Unitarians.
The attorney general warned that "over the past 50 years, religion has been under increasing attack," and has suffered "steady erosion". On the other hand, we see the growing ascendancy of secularism and the doctrine of moral relativisim." He blamed the retreat of religion for America's upsurge of unwed pregnancy.
Evangelist Ralph Drollinger leads what is called the "White House Cabinet Bible Study Group." The right-wing, born-again meetings include Pence, Pompeo, Perry, DeVos, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and NASA Director Jim Bridenstine, plus former cabinet members Ben Carson, Jeff Sessions, Alex Acosta and Scott Pruitt.
Religion is vanishing rapidly in America. White evangelicals the heart of the Republican Party have fallen to just 16 percent of the populace, according to Pew Research. Yet Trump gives them a gigantic role in his government.
Congress soon will decide whether the vulgar, shallow, obnoxious president should be impeached. I wonder if grounds for impeachment might include putting too many fundamentalists into high office?
(Haught, longtime editor of West Virginia's largest newspaper, The Charleston Gazette-Mail, is a weekly contributor to Daylight Atheism.)
---------------------- | PROD 'NONES' TO VOTE
reprinted from Free Inquiry magazine
Progressives hope for an America where health care is a human right for everyone and women's right to choose remains secure and gays are safe from cruelty and people of all sorts are welcome equally in a multicultural society and college is affordable without crushing debt and marijuana no longer brings jail terms and safety measures curb gun massacres and sensible steps reduce global warming and hidebound religion isn't forced onto unwilling people and extreme incarceration doesn't outstrip the rest of the world and science prevails over superstition etc., etc.
The best way to attain these advances is to boost voting by the swelling ranks of young Americans who say their religion is "none." More than any other population segment, "nones" tend to have liberal, tolerant, humanistic, modern views.
If they could be induced to participate more strongly in elections, America's moral climate would improve. But there's the rub: churchless Americans often don't vote. They shun politics as much as they shun supernatural religion. So their potential power lags.
In contrast, white evangelicals although fading are intense voters who form the core of the Republican Party. These fundamentalists have shrunk to just 15 percent of the population (down from 20 in 2012), yet they're so politically active they provided 26 percent of the 113 million votes cast in the 2018 election. Three-to-one, they supported GOP candidates.
But figures for the nonreligious are sad: They've climbed to one-fourth of the adult population, but they were just 17 percent of 2018 voters. Almost three-to-one, they backed Democratic candidates. It's too bad their turnout was so poor.
American politics reveals a travesty among white evangelicals. Jesus actually was a liberal who taught followers to help the poor, heal the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, uplift the underdog, etc. His "social gospel" matches the public safety net supported by left-leaning Democrats. But white evangelicals overwhelmingly back the GOP, which tries to slash the safety net. In effect, they oppose Jesus.
Even worse, those fundamentalists laud President Donald Trump, a much-divorced vulgarian whose view of women was expressed in his notorious "grab 'em by the p****" recording. It's ludicrous for people calling themselves Christian to rally behind such a crass leader, and help his party hurt less-privileged families.
What can be done to persuade more "nones" to vote, to counter the overblown political power of white evangelicals? Could America's widespread secular movement unite in a get-out-the-vote drive?
Some efforts already are afoot. The Secular Coalition for America operates Secular Values Voter, publicizing the rising power of the irreligious. Similarly, other groups support Secular America Votes, which declares:
"Showing politicians that atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and other secular people are a powerful (and growing) voting bloc requires getting out the vote and demonstrating that we are a force to be reckoned with at election time."
But this isn't enough, because the secular turnout remains weak. The ratio of "none" voters doubled from 8 percent in 2002, but they still fail to vote in full force.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 2.25 |
THOUSAND OAKS — Rams general manager Les Snead’s offseason challenges begin with the question of what to do about Todd Gurley and a ground game that went from one of the NFL’s best to one of its worst in just a year.
It’s a challenge that Snead did little to minimize Tuesday, in an hour-long talk with Rams beat writers, after he was asked if Gurley is the same running back he was when he was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and helped L.A. reach the Super Bowl in 2018.
“This year he wasn’t,” Snead said.
He quickly tried to walk back the blunt assessment, saying he was talking about Gurley’s statistics and that his production decline might be partly the fault of changes and injuries in the Rams’ offensive line and opposing defenses making a priority of stopping the run. Snead said it wouldn’t be unusual to see a bounce-back year in 2020 from a player who will be 26 when the Rams open SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Snead even said he saw flashes of the old Gurley in 2019.
“There was some runs when he scored touchdowns when I think we all felt the physics that Todd brings to the game,” Snead said.
But the subject is more math than physics.
Gurley’s season-to-season declines in carries (18.3 to 14.9 per game), rushing yards (89.4 to 57.1 per game) and yards per attempt (4.9 to 3.8) fueled speculation that his late-2018 knee problems still hamper him.
With Gurley taking some series off while Malcolm Brown and rookie Darrell Henderson carried the ball, the Rams fell to 26th in the league in rushing yards (1,499) and 27th in yards per run (3.7) after ranking third in both columns (2,231 and 4.9) in 2018.
The four-year, $60 million contract extension that Gurley signed in July 2018 starts with the 2020 season, when he will cost the Rams $17.25 million against the NFL salary cap, third on the team behind quarterback Jared Goff ($36 million) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald ($25 million) and just ahead of wide receiver Brandin Cooks ($16.8 million), according to the sports payroll tracker spotrac.com.
The big extensions signed by those players leave the Rams with only an estimated $25 million to spend before reaching the salary cap, projected to be $200 million next season.
That dollar squeeze, and the Rams’ lack of first-round draft choices in 2020 and 2021 after trading the picks for cornerback Jalen Ramsey in October, leave Snead with fewer clear options than usual as he tries to improve a team that went 9-7 and missed the playoffs.
Snead wouldn’t address the question of whether Gurley – or any other Rams player – is untouchable for a trade. But the GM did say trades are one way he could unload payroll or acquire draft picks.
In his first on-the-record chat with reporters since October, Snead pushed back at the perception his hands are tied, calling that a “shallow” way to look at what he instead called a “complicated” task. He said he has never regretted negotiating the big extensions, topped by Goff’s four-year deal signed in September for $134 million, including a league-high $110 million guaranteed.
In his view, the extensions locked in a core of players in their 20s to build around, and the front office’s job now is to “supplement” them.
“I would rather be where we’re at now than trying to get here,” Snead said.
After an up-and-down season, Snead, Coach Sean McVay and their staffs began a period of evaluations. This will include hard choices about the offensive line, where nine different players started at five positions this season. And about six regulars entering unrestricted free agency: linebackers Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler, defensive tackle Michael Brockers, offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe, and kicker Greg Zuerlein.
The Rams said Tuesday that Brockers’ left ankle, injured in Sunday’s 31-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, is sprained and not broken.
Snead said Fowler (who made $12 million on a one-year contract) and Littleton ($3 million) “earned raises.”
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Several Rams may be moving on after Sunday’s final game as free agency looms “We have to make a decision on each of those players,” he said.
Zuerlein went from making 87.1% of his field-goal attempts (11th in the league) in 2018 to 72.7 (28th) in 2019.
“We want to get more consistent in the kicking game,” Snead said.
Snead didn’t sound encouraging, either, about re-signing Whitworth, 38, who made $10.25 million this season.
The offensive line issues are entwined with the ground-game problems and the inconsistency of the passing game, which at its best in McVay’s first two years benefited from play-action and the threat of Gurley.
“We definitely want to get back to being more efficient running the football,” Snead said.
He faces no bigger question than how to do that. | Entornointeligente.com /
They tried resting him, and it didn’t work.
They tried running him, and it didn’t work.
The Rams exhausted seemingly every option this season in attempting to operate their offense through Todd Gurley, yet his sore and slowing legs could not carry them past mediocrity.
The inconsistency of his usage was a constant distraction. His production didn’t warrant the team jumping through hoops. In the end, slowed further by a makeshift offensive line, the hero actually became a hindrance, forcing the Rams into an unsettling limbo while waiting for the burst that rarely came.
Advertisement They enter this offseason desperately needing to revitalize a scoring attack that precipitously fell from to 12th in NFL history to 11th in the league, meaning there’s only one thing left to do with their declining star.
Rams Rams will need a new formula to get back to playoffs Rams Rams will need a new formula to get back to playoffs For the first time under coach Sean McVay, the Rams will miss the playoffs and will try to figure out what moves they can make to become contenders again. The Rams need to trade Todd Gurley.
It is not going to be easy. It’s not going to be pretty. They won’t reap a huge return.
Another team will have to agree to assume a chunk of the $60-million contract extension Gurley signed two summers ago. That narrows the field.
Advertisement Another team will have to believe that Gurley, even if he passes the requisite physical, can overcome the restrictions caused by his arthritic left knee. That narrows the field even further.
Gurley would be a nice fit for a playoff club looking for a specialty complementary backfield piece who still can throw out a stiff arm and carry a tackler a couple of yards into the end zone.
There are not many of those teams. The Rams need to find one. This will be a tough sell. The Rams need to sell it hard. This might take some time. The Rams need to do it before next season.
Rams Rams have plenty of roster decisions to make as they evaluate season Rams Rams have plenty of roster decisions to make as they evaluate season From Andrew Whitworth to Dante Fowler and Greg Zuerlein, the Rams have to figure how to reconfigure their roster so they can get back into the playoffs next season. More Coverage Chargers would be ‘weird’ without Philip Rivers, but there’s no rush to decide future They cannot endure another autumn of Waiting For Todd, Hoping For Todd, Testing Out Todd, Talking About Todd … then looking up one day to see Gurley ranks 37th in the league at 3.8 yards per carry and they’re out of the playoffs.
They can’t play another game after which coach Sean McVay calls himself an idiot for not running Gurley, and Gurley doesn’t disagree with him. Yet the real idiots were those of us who thought this odd arrangement could work. It couldn’t. It didn’t.
The load-management stuff turned out to be a load of you-know-what. When they finally unleashed Gurley in the final seven games of the season, they went 4-3. In their two biggest games during that stretch, against the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, he accounted for 86 total yards on 29 touches.
Two seasons after being named NFL offensive player of the year, one season after leading the league in rushing touchdowns, Gurley finished this season as the league’s 20th ranked running back, failing to gain 100 yards in any game.
During his annual postseason interview session Tuesday, I asked Rams general manager Les Snead if Gurley was the same running back as in the past.
Advertisement “This year he wasn’t,” Snead acknowledged.
Todd Gurley picks up yards during a game against the Bears on Nov. 17 at the Coliseum. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) He later clarified his statement to note that Gurley’s performance was vulnerable to many factors, including an injury-riddled offensive line and defenses that focused on him.
“If a runner doesn’t have space early in the down … to accelerate … maybe there was less room this year,” Snead said. “You felt that as you juggled the O-line, as teams adjusted to try to stop the run.”
Snead also noted that just because Gurley gained only 857 yards — nearly 500 yards fewer than his peak season in 2017, with nearly one yard fewer per carry — doesn’t mean his greatness is finished.
“I think we’ve seen players have years that were less than the past come back and actually get back to where they were,” he said.
But Snead’s initial point was valid. Gurley was not Gurley. Can the Rams really afford to take the chance that he will ever be Gurley again?
The answer is no. The Rams can’t afford to be content with 9-7. They can’t afford the sort of inertia that will drive away their hard-won fans, not now.
They are moving into a new stadium. Their two cornerstone players — Aaron Donald and Jared Goff — are moving into the primes of their career. They have a roster still loaded with players just one year from appearing in the Super Bowl. They’re in a suddenly strong division where simply a winning record will not guarantee the playoffs.
Chargers Chargers would be ‘weird’ without Philip Rivers, but there’s no rush to decide future Chargers Chargers would be ‘weird’ without Philip Rivers, but there’s no rush to decide future The Chargers must choose whether to bring back quarterback Philip Rivers next season, but Anthony Lynn is in no rush to make that decision or others. Advertisement They need to get better, and stay better, but how? They don’t have the salary-cap space to add top free agents. They don’t have a first-round draft pick for a couple of years. They don’t have a lot of options other than draft well in later rounds and hope their current group of kids will grow up.
They need a quick jolt, the recharging of what was once a nearly unbeatable battery, and trading Gurley would provide that shock.
It would create cap space. It might net another late-round draft pick or two. Most important, it would clear out the backfield and allow Snead to plug in a veteran running back — or two — to consistently re-open the playbook for Goff.
If you don’t think that’s possible, then you weren’t paying attention late in the 2018 season to the acquisition of a guy named C.J. Anderson. There might not ever be a replacement for a prime Gurley, but the Rams have proven there are certainly viable and more consistent substitutions for the current Gurley, and who knows, maybe Darrell Henderson also starts figuring it out.
Some member of the community-minded Rams front office might worry about the fallout from trading Gurley, but they must understand something. He is not Clayton Kershaw. He is not Mike Trout. Gurley began his career in St. Louis, he starred here for a couple of years, but his quiet demeanor has kept him from making the necessary quick Los Angeles connection. Here’s guessing most Rams fans would understand.
Will Snead actually pull the trigger? Isn’t this the same guy whose bold trades helped land them in the Super Bowl?
When asked Tuesday whether any Rams player besides Goff and Donald were untouchable, Snead played coy.
“I don’t want to get into that … because it can be misconstrued in many ways,” he said. “At this point, I’d rather go, ‘Hey, let me and our staff sit together and try to come up with the best plan on that.’”
That best plan should already be obvious. Trade Todd Gurley.
LINK ORIGINAL: Latimes
Entornointeligente.com | 2.333333 |
St John, police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand attended the scene of the crash on the Moutere Highway.
One person has been seriously injured following a crash in Appleby on New Year's Day.
A police spokeswoman said the crash happened at the intersection of the Moutere Highway and Maling Rd, at about 12.10pm on Wednesday afternoon.
St John and Fire and Emergency also attended the scene.
A St John spokeswoman said the crash involved a motorcycle and a truck, with one person being taken to Nelson Hospital with serious injuries. | Emergency services near the scene on Parton Rd. Photo / Supplied
Emergency services near the scene on Parton Rd. Photo / Supplied
Two people have been taken to hospital in a critical condition in separate incidents in Pāpāmoa today.
The first person collapsed at a Bay Dreams park-and-ride bus stop on Parton Rd in Pāpāmoa.
The second was found ill on the side of Pāpāmoa Beach Rd between Golden Sands Drive and Short Pl later in the afternoon.
Both patients were rushed to Tauranga Hospital by ambulance.
A St John spokeswoman said the first patient was transported at 12.40pm.
A passer-by said there was a Bay Dreams park-and-ride bus stop "teeming with people" across the road an unmanned Gull service station.
He understood a person had been taken away in an ambulance after collapsing.
An ambulance and a police car were at the scene.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said it was a medical event, so he would not comment.
A Bay Dreams spokeswoman declined to comment, and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council - the organisation that operates buses in Tauranga - directed questions to Bay Dreams organisers responsible for traffic management and additional bus services for the event.
Paramedics were called to the Pāpāmoa Beach Rd incident at 2.39pm. Three ambulances were sent, a spokeswoman for St John said.
A police spokesperson said it appeared the person had been found "seriously ill" on the side of the road by a person who called 111.
The circumstances of how the two people came to be ill are not known, but the incidents come on one of the busiest days of the year for Pāpāmoa and Mount Maunganui.
Some 30,000 people are expected to attend the sold-out Bay Dreams music festival at Trustpower Stadium, with up to 27,000 coming from out of town.
Huge queues formed at the venue this morning as festival-goers waited for the gates to open.
The streets surrounding the stadium and public transport hubs are swarming with people. Some roads are closed and others have reduced speeds, and police have been out in force.
More than 30,000 people are expected to head to Bay Dreams at Trustpower Stadium in Mount Maunganui today.
Huge queues formed at the venue this morning as festival-goers waited for the gates to open.
Free buses have been put on for ticket-holders, with park-and-ride stations in Parton Road, Kawaka St, the CBD and Toi-Ohomai's Windermere campus. | 2 |
Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech is seen in this 2012 file photo, just before he was named a cardinal. He died Dec. 30 at age 94. (CNS/Paul Haring)
Vatican City — Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech, an Augustinian priest and expert on the fathers of the early church, died Dec. 30 at the Santo Spirito Hospital near the Vatican. He was 94.
In a message of condolence to the prior general of the Augustinians, Pope Francis said he always had "great esteem" for the cardinal, "both because of his personal witness of Christian and consecrated life, as well as for his exemplary service to the formation of new generations, especially of priests."
Grech's funeral was scheduled for Jan. 2 in St. Peter's Basilica with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, vice dean of the College of Cardinals, presiding. Francis was scheduled to lead the rite of final commendation at the end of the funeral Mass.
The cardinal was a "wise and compassionate religious" with a "great sense of humor and humanity," said a statement released Dec. 30 by the bishops of Malta: Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi and Bishop Mario Grech, apostolic administrator of Gozo.
Although he already was over 80 and therefore ineligible to vote in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI in March 2013, the cardinals chose him to give the first meditation inside the Sistine Chapel when they gathered for the election.
Five months later, the Vatican newspaper published the text of Grech's talk, which included reminders of the importance of presenting the Catholic faith in its entirety, the need to recognize the errors of church members and the need for unity within the Catholic community.
The church is called to proclaim the kingdom of God and the good news of salvation through Christ, he told his fellow cardinals. "The church does this presenting the Gospel without shortcuts, without diluting the word."
Listing threats to the Catholic Church, the cardinal first cited a general lack of understanding of church teaching. But he also saw a gathering storm of threats to the church's unity. "Between ultra-traditionalist extremists and ultra-progressive extremists, between priests rebelling against obedience and those who don't recognize the signs of the times, there always will be the risk of small schisms that not only damage the church, but go against the will of God," he said. | The Augustinian Province in Malta said on Wednesday preparations were underway for Cardinal Prospero Grech’s funeral.
Cardinal Grech, the second Cardinal in Maltese history, died on Monday.
His body was on Tuesday returned to the St Monica International College, where he lived most of his life, and where people could pay their last respects.
On Thursday, a Vatican official will sign the traditional Rogito - a testament to his life that will be placed in the coffin.
The body will then be taken to St Peter’s Basilica where the funeral will be held at the Altar of the Chair of Peter. The ceremony will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the vice-decan of the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis will preside over the last part of the funeral rites.
The general prior of the Order, Fr Alejandro Moral Anton, the prior of the Maltese Augustinian Province Fr Leslie Gatt, several Augustinian brothers and other priests, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, Gozo bishop Mario Grech and a number of other bishops will be in attendance.
The Maltese state will be represented by President George Vella and Mrs Vella. Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela and Malta’s ambassador at the Vatican, Frank Zammit, will also be attending.
Meanwhile, the Augustinian Province in Malta said it was preparing for the Cardinal’s body to be brought to Malta in the coming days. It planned to hold Mass praesente cadavere to give those who wished to pay him their last respects the opportunity to do so. Details will be given at a later stage.
The Order said that in the past days it received several messages of condolences including from Pope Francis and the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
It thanked those who expressed regret at the news of Cardinal Grech's death while acknowledging his qualities and priceless heritage he left in several sectors. It also called on people to keep the late Cardinal in their prayers. | 2.333333 |
By
Do females have the right not to be killed? Your answer is obviously YES. But, if you were Sanders, Newsom, Pelosi, the answer is “have they been born yet?” Right, unborn females to Democrats have no rights. Now the Pro-Life movement is using Civil Rights laws to protect the unborn. “The idea that fetuses deserve rights is not a new concept, but it was once considered a fairly fringe idea. When the first “heartbeat” bill appeared in Ohio in 2011, anti-abortion groups were divided over whether to support it. But since President Donald Trump got elected and tipped the balance of the Supreme Court, abortion opponents have embraced the strategy. “We were surprised at the references to particular progressive victories, including things like the passage of the 14th Amendment [and] same sex marriage,” says Dabney Evans, an associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and co-author of the study, which may be the first systematic analysis of the political language around early abortion bans in the United States. She and other researchers examined the testimony and legislative debate advocating for Georgia’s six-week abortion ban last March. As this civil rights movement goes forward in the protection of babies—female and male—the Left is going to melt like a snowflake. Maybe the “victories of the Left in re: marriage, special protections etc. will now be used to save lives—and that kills (pun intended) the Left.
Here’s How Conservatives Are Using Civil Rights Law to Restrict Abortion
By Abigail Abrams, Time magazine, 1/1/20
Six states passed laws in 2019 banning abortions once a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. While most of these new laws were challenged in court and are temporarily blocked, the trend has continued: another 10 states introduced similar bills in 2019 and more are expected this year.
The sudden success of these measures is not an accident. They are the result of a concerted new strategy by abortion opponents, researchers have found.
Instead of focusing on religious or women’s health concerns, supporters of Georgia’s “heartbeat” bill advanced their arguments by “co-opting the legal successes of progressive movements” such as the civil rights movement and the LGBT rights movement, according to a new study, published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. Throughout the testimony surrounding the bill, Georgia state lawmakers and community members argued that fetuses are a class of persons entitled to protection under the law, just like black Americans and LGBT Americans.
“If you think back to the same sex marriage debate, the state of Massachusetts recognized the franchise of marriage more expansively in Massachusetts than the minimum requirement of federal law,” argued bill sponsor and Georgia State Rep. Ed Setzler in a quote mentioned in the study. “This is walking that same tradition.”
The idea that fetuses deserve rights is not a new concept, but it was once considered a fairly fringe idea. When the first “heartbeat” bill appeared in Ohio in 2011, anti-abortion groups were divided over whether to support it. But since President Donald Trump got elected and tipped the balance of the Supreme Court, abortion opponents have embraced the strategy.
“We were surprised at the references to particular progressive victories, including things like the passage of the 14th Amendment [and] same sex marriage,” says Dabney Evans, an associate professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health and co-author of the study, which may be the first systematic analysis of the political language around early abortion bans in the United States. She and other researchers examined the testimony and legislative debate advocating for Georgia’s six-week abortion ban last March.
So-called “heartbeat” bills have been controversial in part because they seek to ban abortions at a stage when many women do not yet know they are pregnant, which reproductive rights advocates say means they ban nearly all abortions. Doctors like Dr. Jen Gunter have also noted that, despite the frequently used “heartbeat” language, the cardiac activity measured at six weeks comes from a cluster of cells called the fetal pole rather than from something that looks like a heart.
Evans and her co-author, Subasri Narasimhan, a post-doctoral fellow at Emory’s Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast, noted several examples of legislators and community members “misrepresenting medical science” in their support of the Georgia bill. But the arguments went further, the study says, explaining that the Georgia bill’s supporters were effectively “foreshadowing their legal strategy for a future claim before the U.S. Supreme Court.”
The study outlines three major arguments that the bill’s supporters used to advance their argument. They first asserted that a “heartbeat” was a sign of life and therefore personhood. Then lawmakers and community members said that if fetuses were living, they were a “vulnerable” class of people who deserve rights and protections. And finally, the study explains, the bill’s supporters said that Georgia should be allowed to expand rights and protections to this new group as a matter of states’ rights.
In the Georgia legislature, Setzler, the bill’s sponsor, cited the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision to imply that the Supreme Court had similarly ruled incorrectly in Roe v. Wade. “A 7-2 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857 said Dred Scott was property, he wasn’t a person,” Setzler said during a committee hearing in March. “The same Supreme Court, by a 7-2 decision, that didn’t recognize Dred Scott, didn’t recognize the humanity of a child in the womb and it’s our opportunity to fix that.”
Another state legislator balked at the comparison and referenced the Three-Fifths compromise as a time when legislators dangerously intervened to decide who was human. But Setzler was undeterred: “Can you help me, through this bill, fully recognize them so it’s not three fifths of a person but a full person?” he asked.
The researchers called these comparisons “false equivalencies,” but added that they add a new dimension to the anti-abortion advocates’ playbook. While previous debates over abortion might have included religious language or restrictions on what providers must do in the name of women’s safety, the study found very little religious rhetoric, and concerns about women’s health were largely brought up by the bill’s opponents.
“In the recent past, anti-abortion advocates have responded by co-opting the language of women’s health and science, focusing most recently on women’s health protection,” the researchers wrote. “While not abandoning this explanatory position, current anti-abortion efforts like HB 481 appear to be layering on a protectionist argument for unborn persons.”
Pro-abortion advocates who fought Georgia’s bill — including those now challenging it in court — have argued that this and other heartbeat bills would actually harm precisely the communities that civil rights laws are designed to protect. An abortion ban, they say, will disproportionately hurt people of color and LGBT people in Georgia who already face barriers to accessing health care.
As is standard practice, the study does not include the names of participants it quotes, but all of the material the researchers analyzed comes from publicly available videos of committee hearings and legislative sessions. TIME reviewed the videos to match Setzler’s quotes with those mentioned in the study.
While Evans and Narasimhan only studied the arguments around Georgia’s abortion ban, they believe their findings will be useful to researchers, community members, activists and legislators in many other states. That’s in large part because many of the “heartbeat” bills being considered around the country are based on model legislation from a group called Faith2Action, which says it provides “the largest network of pro-family organizations.”
“In public health, often people examine the outcomes of policy or legislation, but the process itself is often overlooked,” Narasimhan says. Here, the process is still ongoing as many state legislatures will reconvene this month, and Narasimhan expects other states to make similar arguments to those made in Georgia.
The study also provides a learning opportunity for voters, she added. “This is part of the democracy that we live in,” she says. “This legislative debate is public record. Our analyzing it in this systematized way is bringing forth information into the public record as well and allowing people to hear and see what these debates look like and what tactics are being used for things that will ultimately impact them.” | Researchers who examined arguments put forward for Georgia's so-called fetal "heartbeat" bill found supporters used misleading, unscientific language, and also demeaned the experiences of slaves, African Americans, and LGBTQIA folk by suggesting embryos face similar hardships.
Georgia House Bill 481, which passed by a small margin in 2019, bans abortions at around six weeks gestation, or the point at which embryonic cardiac activity—incorrectly known as the fetal "heartbeat"—can be detected. At this point, most women are not aware they are pregnant, meaning such legislation effectively bans abortion. Almost 100 such fetal "heartbeat" bills have been introduced across 25 U.S. states since 2011, with 16 states proposing them in 2019. HB 481 was due to come into effect in January 2020, but has been placed on hold after a federal ruling in October.
According to analysis published in the journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, those against terminations had a three-pronged attack. They incorrectly state embryonic cardiac activity indicates a fetus is alive; used this to argue for a new protected class of persons; and asserted fetuses should be afforded legal rights above those given by federal law.
For instance, it was argued the lack of a heartbeat indicates a person is dead, therefore its presence suggests they are alive. That's despite the fact cardiac activity is not the same as a functioning heart or heartbeat, and this alone does not meet the medical definition of life, the researchers explained.
Supporters also used loaded terms such as "unborn child" to suggest a fetus is a person. Such language "deliberately mimics biological, human, and child development terminology in an attempt to add an air of medical credibility to the claim, which cannot be backed by scientific sources," the researchers said. "Heartbeat" bill advocates also misrepresented the stances of credible organisations such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), the study revealed.
The debate also raised complications with treating fetuses as living persons, including whether they should be included on the census and enrolled for Medicaid, the authors found.
The co-authors of the paper told Newsweek: "We found that supporters of HB 481 distorted medical language lending an air of credibility to the concepts underlying the bill."
Fetuses were also repeatedly described in ways to make them appear vulnerable, innocent and at risk of maltreatment, the researchers said. Citing the 14th Amendment, which recognizes the full humanity of Black Americans, backers argued fetuses require similar protection to former slaves.
Dabney P. Evansin, associate professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health and Subasri Narasimhan, post-doctoral fellow at the institution, co-authored the paper. They told Newsweek the major tactic for furthering arguments for affording fetsus personhood "was the appropriation of progressive victories such as those of the civil and LGBTQ rights movements.
"This line of argumentation demeans the lived experiences of marginalized groups," they said.
Evansin and Narasimhan wrote in their paper: "The hypocrisy in these forms of appropriation seems ludicrous given that few if any anti-abortion activists are also known to be advocating in anti-racist, gay pride, right to health, or other intersectional social justice spaces."
They argued the "outrageous claims served a purpose" to build a case for challenging Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court in the hope abortion will be made illegal.
Evansin and Narasimhan told Newsweek: "Early abortion bans are not grounded in credible scientific evidence. In our research we found that supporters of HB 481 conflated two important concepts: non-viable pregnancy and fetal viability. Fetal viability is an important concept in abortion jurisprudence and is defined as the time at which a fetus can survive on its own including with the assistance of medical intervention.
"A number of factors play into fetal viability but survival before 22 weeks gestation is extremely unlikely even with medical intervention," they explained. "Given that early abortion bans limit the timing of the procedure to well before this standard using language related to fetal viability is inappropriate."
They concluded: "This research adds to our understanding that early abortion bans are scientifically and medically unsound. It also clearly lays out the strategies that supporters of early abortion ban legislation are using to advance their arguments." | 3.333333 |
Today marks the start of a special year for Formula 1. 2020 is the seventieth anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship™, the competition that represents the pinnacle of motorsport and we wanted to celebrate it with a special logo, unveiled today and which from 6th January will be visible on all Formula 1’s digital platforms.
For Formula 1 it’s been seventy years of guts and glory, power and pride, tears and triumph, speed and suspense but we’re just warming up. We’ve worked hard to get to
where we are now and we will continue to unleash the greatest racing spectacle on the planet through everything we do.
1950-2020 – Formula 1® presents a new logo to celebrate 70 years of the greatest
racing spectacle on the planet Date 1 January 2020 We will celebrate this achievement in lots of ways throughout 2020 and the new logo is just the start of these celebrations.
A lot has happened over the 70 years. 33 drivers have been world champion, 108 have won Grands Prix, while to date, 764 drivers and over 150 teams have taken part. All these achievements have required a stage and a setting in the form of a race track, the ever present arena where teams and drivers can go head to head in the championship battle.
The two lines in the new logo and interlinked design allow this mark to honour those tracks. Another aim of this design is to allow broadcasters, promoters, sponsors and teams to inject their own colours into the mark providing a level of personalisation in celebrating the anniversary across Formula 1. In addition to the numeric mark, we’ve also designed a word one as shown below.
Our past fuels our future and the new logo celebrates a milestone while also looking ahead. Celebrating 70 years is about making the past part of the present, while our sport looks to the future, which it does with confidence and pride. | DEAR DEIDRE: MY partner’s cousin moved into our house when his wife threw him out.
Since then my life has been a nightmare. I’m 32 and I wish I could just take the children and leave.
1 My life has turned into a nightmare since my partner's cousin moved in Credit: Getty - Contributor
My husband is 33 and only went down the pub twice a week.
He’d come back in time to help get our three kids to bed.
Then his cousin moved in and they go to the pub every evening for hours. His cousin is 29.
When they get back they carry on drinking and sometimes smoke weed.
I’ve talked to my husband several times but this carries on just the same.
I could talk to his cousin’s mum but she’s not well and I don’t want to give her the stress.
Get in touch with Deidre today Got a problem? Send an email to problems@deardeidre.org. Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter @deardeidre.
DEIDRE SAYS: Your real problem is not with the cousin but with the man you married.
He must grow up and decide what he wants.
He is wasting money on drink that should be better spent, and not thinking of you or his kids.
Say the drinking and smoking must stop or both he and his cousin must leave.
For the sake of your children, get family members on side.
My e-leaflet Standing Up For Yourself will help. | 1 |
(Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA
They tried to beat Bernie Sanders by ignoring him. They found out that it was impossible to beat a real message especially one that is existential
What most in the corporate media fail to understand is that it is less about Bernie Sanders and more about the policies Americans must ultimately have. Ignoring Bernie Sanders changes nothing. Ultimately, Bernie Sanders proves one important tenet, staying true to policies that align with the needs of Americans can, should, and must ultimately win.
Many consider Bernie Sanders too left to win. As I point out ad nauseam, his policies are more in line with what Americans want than that of our neoliberal candidates. The polls have been consistent.
Progressives are not some fringe in the Democratic Party. I took a snapshot of the poll of polls at Real Clear Politics. It is clear that there is no real center in the Democratic Party.
As I mentioned in a previous article,
A unified Democratic message on Medicare for All sells itself because most have already interfaced with the corrosive nature of private health insurance. If one makes the case Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren continue to make, 'Your healthcare cost will go down and you will have more money in your pocket with better healthcare which means your doctor defines your care and not some private insurance hatchet job hired to deny you coverage in order to enrich a few shareholders and executives." Once the disbelief is overcome it will become a landslide winner. If Democrats adopted a unified message of the existential nature of the Green New Deal, using the increased fires, floods, destructive storms, and high tide street flooding in coastal areas, it would become a landslide winner. If Democrats adopted a unified message of student loan forgiveness, by pointing out to Americans that the influx of dollars into the economy from those formerly saddled with an unbearable debt would start buying homes, appliances, cars, and much more. If Democrats adopted a unified message on childcare and family-leave subsidies showing not only the job creation nature of the policy but the human dignity one gets for being able to have kids while they work or create one's own venture, the policies would pass in landslides. The lie that there is not enough money to pay for all the above and more is just that, a lie. A few Americans decided to create an economic system that values capital over humanity -- allows a few to hoard the capital created on the backs of others. Adjusting our economic model that values humanity's worth would be transformational for most.
It is clear many continue to feel the bern. The reality is that they crave the policies that will bring equal access to success. | Former US Vice President Joe Biden maintains his lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders by 10 percentage points in a recent poll, according to the latest Economist/YouGov poll.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) follows Sanders, coming in at 18 percent. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg follows at 8 percent.
Behind them are Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) with 4 percent, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), each of whom received 3 percent. Philanthropist Tom Steyer and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) came in at 2 percent.
Four percent of people said they are unsure whom they would vote for. | 2.333333 |
Galindo said he, Ramirez and Juana, were having a good time in the kitchen, when he stepped out briefly to take his dog into the living room. Galindo said that’s when he suddenly heard gunshots.
"It felt like I was being hit by the bullets,” Galindo said. “I can't explain how I felt in the moment because my instinct was to run out."
Galindo said he ran outside and asked a neighbor to call police and saw his friend, Ramirez, lying by the kitchen stove when police arrived.
"Could you imagine how it would feel to see your friend dead? Knowing that you were supposed to have a good new year and then something like this happens without expecting it? No one could've imagined it,” he said.
According to police, Juana fled the scene shortly after. Juana was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
No arrests have been made yet. This is Roswell’s ninth homicide of 2019 within city limits.
Anyone with information about Juana’s whereabouts is asked to call the Roswell Police Department at (575) 624-6770. | ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – The Roswell Police Department is seeking the public’s help to find a murder suspect. They are searching for 32-year-old Eleuterio Andres Juana who is accused of shooting 50-year-old Jaime Ramirez inside a home on New Year’s Eve.
According to RPD, a 911 call about the shooting came in around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Ramirez lying on the kitchen floor. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“The investigation determined multiple people had been at the house visiting and drinking just prior to the shooting. Juana and Ramirez were in the kitchen talking before Juana allegedly shot Ramirez. Juana then fled the scene,” said Todd Wildermuth, public information officer for the Roswell Police Department.
Juana is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Eleuterio Andres Juana is asked to call the Roswell Police Department at (575) 624-6770 or Chaves County Crime Stoppers at 1-888-594-TIPS(8477). | 4 |
PATNA: The Patna Municipal Corporation was fourth lowest among the cities having population above 10 lakhs in the Swachh Survekshan results for the first two quarters of 2019-20 announced on Tuesday. None of the urban local bodies (ULBs) in state could make it to the top 1,000 ULBs in the first two quarters under the Swachh Survekshan League.The results were announced by Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday. The performance of cities in SS League is crucial to their rankings in the annual Swachh Survekshan 2020 as 25% weightage of the quarterly assessments will be included in the annual survey scheduled to be conducted from January 4 to 31.As per the results announced on Tuesday, the bottom four cities with population above 10 lakh were Patna (ranked 46), Delhi (47), Howrah (48) and Kolkata (49). But technically, Patna was the second last as none of the West Bengal cities participated in the survey and hence scored zero.Though Sahebganj ULB in Muzaffarpur was the best in state, but it still ranked 1,388, followed by Muzaffarpur and Danapur with 1,457 and 2,723 ranks respectively. An official with the urban development and housing department said the marks will have slight impact on the final survey starting from January 4. “The entire marks for the survey is 6,000, but SS League 2020 consists of only 1,500 marks and that too only 25% of it will be carried forward. Another 1500 marks each will be on the direct observation, citizens’ feedback and service level programme, which will make to total of 4,500,” he said.“We do not expect much improvement in the final survey as we lack manpower required for the evaluation,” the official added.State urban development and housing department minister Suresh Kumar Sharma said the department will now focus on improving the ULBs’ rankings in Bihar . “It is our New Year pledge to perform better from now onwards. We have already bought many equipment for cleanliness and the result can be seen from this month,” said Sharma. | Residents claim that the SCB’s ranking has been affected due to its failure in collecting garbage, not providi... Read More
SECUNDERABAD: The second largest cantonment of the country, Secunderabad , was ranked as the worst performer among all 62 cantonment boards surveyed in the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (SS League 2020) rankings.The ministry of housing and urban affairs released results of the last two quarters beginning April in New Delhi.The SS League 2020, which monitors cleanliness in cities/cantonment boards, allotted 2,000 marks for each quarter. According to the results, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board ( SCB ) secured 136.83 marks in the first quarter and 10.61 marks in the second quarter, thereby ending in the last spot in both quarters.With 1187.39 marks, the St. Thomas Mount cantonment in Tamil Nadu secured the first spot in the first quarter and Delhi cantonment stood at the top by securing 1368.55 marks in the second quarter. The evaluation was done based on services provided, observation and citizen feedback through outbound phone calls.With a 42-square kilometre area and population of nearly four lakh residents, the SCB is the second largest cantonment in the country. However, it failed to compete with other cantonments which are significantly smaller with predominant army presence.Dehu road in Pune, Nainital, Wellington, Shimla are among those who have emerged among the top 20 cantonments in the country in the SS League 2020.Residents claim that the SCB’s ranking has been affected due to its failure in collecting garbage, not providing adequate public toilets and poor solid waste management.“Even today, many colonies in SCB wards don’t have public bins, forcing people to throw garbage on roads. This garbage is often not picked up by the SCB cleaners. Apart from this, there are insufficient public toilets,” said Sudha Konidela, a resident of Vasavi Nagar Colony.Residents blamed SCB for not making enough efforts in taking up developmental works in the areas under its limits. “For years, the SCB has been crying over shortage of funds. Basic issues related to road repair, water and cleanliness have not been addressed due to shortage of funds. The rankings look poorly on the cantonment,” said Jeetendra Surana, secretary of All Cantonments Citizens Welfare Association.Admitting its inability to perform well in the rankings, the SCB authorities passed the buck to the Centre over its failure in clearing dues. “Since we are yet to receive Rs 550 crore from the Centre, we are unable to meet even basic needs of the residents. We are unable to pay our contractors, sweepers. Therefore, we are falling back in terms of cleanliness,” said J Ramakrishna, SCB vice-president.Ramakrishna said paucity of funds forced the board to seek help. “So far, we were self-sustaining. However, for the first time in the history, we were forced to go for aided board as the gap between residents’ needs and availability of funds is only increasing by the day. The Centre should distribute funds proportionately to enable us to perform our basic civic activities,” said Ramakrishna.The performance of cities in SS League 2020 is crucial to their ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2020 due to the 25% weightage of the quarterly assessment to be included in the annual survey scheduled to commence from January 4 till January 31, 2020. | 2.333333 |
Losing its magic. Latest venture capital barometer came out just awful. Clearly suggesting further GDP deceleration. This industry is the poster child for the imbalances we see in this cycle. Loads of easy money fueling loss-making businesses at inflated valuations. pic.twitter.com/zpoPCsvDrL — Otavio (Tavi) Costa (@TaviCosta) December 28, 2019
Oct Case Shiller up a measly 10bps on rate action..+3.3% YoY… Peaked in early 2018… FHFA Purchases still in major deceleration mode. $ITB $XLF $TLT $ZROZ pic.twitter.com/iWvmHwlaBL — PlungeProtectionTeam (@gamesblazer06) December 31, 2019
largest-ever vix short continues unwind pic.twitter.com/PmHYG2Srj4 — Alastair Williamson (@StockBoardAsset) December 31, 2019
Americans already don't like 2020 as shown in this morning's Consumer Confidence Survey, and have a perfect 6 out of 6 record in calling recessions pic.twitter.com/HAVVfIzDZm — Not Jim Cramer (@Not_Jim_Cramer) January 1, 2020
Despite record high stocks, the headline consumer confidence data disappointed, printing 126.5 (down from the upwardly revised 126.8) and well below the hopeful 128.5 expected.
Value of private equity deals hits post-crisis high fueled by cheap debt and big cash inflows [FT]
Fuelled by cheap debt and large inflows of cash from pension funds and other investors seeking high returns in a low interest-rate environment, buyout groups are hungry for deals and willing to take on larger and more complex target companies.
Pension funds are hungry for more risk and yield.
Apollo, Blackstone, KKR and Ares, some of America’s biggest private equity firms, have seen shares soar to record highs this year after switching from partnership to corporation status — a move that makes it easier for mutual funds and index trackers to own shares.
Offload to the bagholders I guess.
Her proposed new rules would make private equity groups responsible for the debts of the companies they owned, in effect banning the private equity model in its current form.
I actually agree with Warren on something. | Video: Suspect sucker punches NY cop on camera. Is immediately released by judgeJazz ShawPosted at 8:01 am on December 31, 2019New York City continues to descend into chaos under the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, particularly when it comes to the rule of law. We’ve already witnessed multiple instances of people dumping buckets of water on police officers as they perform their duties. There are weekly “protests” in Brooklyn, where marching vandals chant “F*** the Police” and demand that the cops be banned from subway stations so they can more easily commit crimes. And in the latest incident, a suspect sucker-punched a member of the NYPD right in front of other officers. And thanks to the lax rules being pushed by City Hall, the suspect was back out on the street almost immediately. (CBS New York) | 1 |
news, story, article
By Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, Jan. 1, GNA - More than one thousand five hundred people Tuesday night massed up at the Korle-Gonno branch of the Lighthouse Chapel International to participate in the midnight vigil service to usher in the New Year.
The service held in the church's auditorium was filled to capacity with several others seated outside with screens mounted at vantage points to allow everyone access to the activities in order to ease congestion.
Security was tight even prior to the commencement of the service as people were thoroughly scrutinised before being allowed entry.
Church members, who were mostly clad in white clothes to signify triumph, sang and danced to glorify God for His love, mercies and protection and above all for a successful year and asked for a better year in 2020.
Bishop Hamesh Oddoye, the Head Pastor in charge of the Korle-Gonno Cathedral, said Christians must develop the desire towards bringing to their Maker the deviant ones.
He said the greatest thing Christians could offer God was to love Him, and it is imperative that Christians show that by assuming the roles of shepherds and feed the people with God's words to prepare them for a better life.
The theme for the sermon was: "2020, the Year of Shepherding," quoting scriptures from the Book of John 21:15, 15:16; Matthew 22:37; and Ephesians 4:10-12 among others to buttress his point.
Bishop Oddoye said "the greatest commandment according to the Bible is to love God and if you love God, you will feed his people, which means being a shepherd.
"God gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as shepherds and some us teachers and this is to prepare His people for the works of service," he said.
"Therefore, your aim in the church is to become a shepherd because you have been called by God to be a Christian and that call means you have to do His work for others," he added.
GNA | Print
news, story, article
By Dominic Andonye, GNA
Wa, Jan. 01, GNA – The Reverend Minister of
the Mangu Methodist Church in in Wa, Rev. Monica Achana has advised Christians
to be careful of false prophets in the country and avoid them as they enter
into 2020.
Rev. Achana gave the advice during a sermon
on the 31st December night service at Mangu on the theme: “Live a Life worth of
Praise; Be Warned of False Prophets in 2020”.
She said in 2020 people, who read and
understand the Bible will be tempted to use the same Bible to deceive people as
prophets just like we have them today.
She said such people focused their
preachings on miracles since they knew most Christians believed in them.
She said every Christian was given the power
to perform miracles and to heal the sick with fate and that no one should fall
prey for fake people who claim to be men or women of God in 2020 as they used
the Holy Bible for their own selfish motives.
Rev. Achana pleaded with Ghanaians to be
humble in 2020 and seek God’s guidance before taking any decision especially
political leaders in an election year.
“The New Year gives us the opportunity to
reflect on the old year and do away with some bad behaviours and then make
decisions for the rest of the months”, she said.
“In 2020 the false prophets will continue to
exploit us for their personal gains just like they are doing, let us take note
and stay away from them since they are using the Holy Bible for their selfish
motives”,she said.
There was euphoria, ecstasy, display of
fireworks and shouts of praise in the church when the clock struck 00:00 hours
to usher in the New Year, 2020.
GNA | 2.333333 |
Larry Jones
The first horses in Oaklawn's new Havre de Grace barn are, fittingly, for Larry Jones, who trained the 2011 Horse of the Year and a multiple stakes winner in Hot Springs. The Havre de Grace barn was one of six new barns built this year.
“Good to be back,” Jones said Saturday morning. “Kind of like setting us up here for some kind of reason. It feels right at home.”
Jones said he will eventually have 25 horses on the grounds, with his stable headed by Grade 1 winner Street Band. One of the country's top 3-year-old fillies of 2019, Jones said Street Band is training at Fair Grounds in preparation for her seasonal debut in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 26 at Sam Houston. The race, Jones said, is Street Band's scheduled steppingstone to the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares March 14 at Oaklawn. The Azeri is the final major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 18.
“Street Band will be here as soon as the Houston Ladies Classic is over,” Jones said. “With the Apple Blossom being $1 million dollars, we damn sure want to get a race over the track and hopefully be ready.”
Street Band won 4 of 8 starts in 2019, highlighted by the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in March at Fair Grounds and the $1 million Cotillion (G1) in September at Parx.
Asked if he believed Street Band could be a major player in the older female dirt division in 2020, Jones said, “We sure hope so.”
Midnight Bisou won the Houston Ladies Classic, Azeri and Apple Blossom in 2019 to help secure an expected Eclipse Award as the country's champion older dirt female. Havre de Grace launched her 2011 Horse of the Year campaign with victories in the Azeri and Apple Blossom for owner Rick Porter (Fox Hill Farms).
Jones said Porter will be represented by Whoa Nellie in the $100,000 Pippin Stakes Jan. 25, which is Oaklawn's first of three major preps for the Apple Blossom. Whoa Nellie, a daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, had a 3-1-2 record from seven starts in 2019 and earnings of $150,630. The 1-mile Pippin will mark the 4-year-old and stakes debut of Whoa Nellie.
“It's time to have to get in there,” Jones said. “She's coming around. She won at Turfway two weeks ago and did that the right way – sat back and made her little run and won easy. We're hopeful.”
Jones said another 3-year-old filly of 2019, Istan Council, will also be pointed for stakes races at Oaklawn. She ran fourth in the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes last year in Hot Springs.
“It seems like this year we got bombarded with so many grass horses,” Jones said with a laugh. “It's like, 'Man, what the hell are you doing? You know I don't train grass horses.”
Jones won 8 of 38 starts in 2019 at Oaklawn. His meet was highlighted by Super Steed's victory in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds.
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Copyright © 2020 Paulick Report. | Pauseforthecause
Chester and Mary Broman's Pauseforthecause brings a three-race win streak into Saturday's $100,000 La Verdad, a seven-furlong tilt for New York-bred fillies 4-years-old and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the homebred daughter of Giant's Causeway is undefeated since a two-month freshening that includes an optional claiming win on September 12 and the October 19 Iroquois at Belmont Park ahead of a last-out romp against open company in the Garland of Roses on December 8 at the Big A.
“She's really on a good roll and beat open company last time,” said McLaughlin. “It is seven furlongs and it might be wet – which both are not ideal – but she's a different filly now. She's won three in a row impressively. I don't think the wet will bother us and hopefully the seven furlongs doesn't, either.”
A veteran of 23 starts with a record of 7-4-6 and field-best purse earnings of $518,793, the daughter of multiple stakes-winner Spritely has demonstrated particular affinity for the Aqueduct main track where she sports an 8-2-2-4 ledger.
“I think she's a really nice filly and the New York-bred part of it helps her a lot,” offered McLaughlin. “We're happy she won open last time and happy to be back with New York-breds this time.”
Pauseforthecause was third in a sloppy renewal of this event last year and has yet to score beyond 6 ½-furlongs, but McLaughlin said he is buoyed to have 2019 NYRA circuit-leading rider Manny Franco available for the return mount from post 2.
“Manny rode her well last time and won nicely, so we're happy to have him back on,” said McLaughlin.
Treadway Racing Stable's Kept True, trained by Leah Gyarmati, arrives at the La Verdad from a convincing 1 ¼-length score in a state-bred allowance event on December 20 at the Big A. The 4-year-old Yes It's True filly, bred by Jeffrey Treadway, will make her first stakes appearance since finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga Race Course in August.
Dylan Davis retains the mount from post 3.
Reddam Racing's Cash Offer, trained by Mark Hennig, boasts a record of 3-5-1 from 10 starts and will provide a pace presence in the compact field. The Shackleford bay, bred by Taylor Brothers Properties and To Kalon, has been first or second at first call in nine of 10 career starts. The bay daughter of stakes winner Monono will emerge from post 5 under Jose Lezcano.
Bluegrass Jamboree, trained and co-owned by Charlton Baker with breeder Sugar Maple Farm, is the field's second-leading money earner with $319,360. The 6-year-old Bluegrass Cat mare boasts a record of 2-2-1 from nine starts at the Big A and will be in search of her first career stakes win under the freshly acquired services of Eric Cancel from post 5.
Rounding out the field are Fight On Lucy (post 1, Reylu Gutierrez), Indy's Lady (post 4, Jorge Vargas, Jr.), and Aunt Babe (post 6, Julio Correa).
The La Verdad is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race card. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
New to the Paulick Report? Click here to sign up for our daily email newsletter to keep up on this and other stories happening in the Thoroughbred industry.
Copyright © 2020 Paulick Report. | 1.666667 |
McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio –From building to brewing, the Ponchak family is on track for an early 2020 opening for its newest business venture.
“McConnelsville is making a comeback,” said Dean Ponchak, as he walked through a brick building that sits north of the village square on West Main Street directly across the street from not only the town’s grocery store, but its iconic steel bridge.
Dean and his wife, Jennifer, bought the building in January 2018, and the pair works with their sons Blake, 30, and Dirk, 26, in Jennifer’s construction business, Follow the River.
Now the family is opening its second joint-venture with Dean at the helm of Old Bridge Brewing Co.
“Leading into the taproom, I want it to reflect that bridge, get a mural up there that makes it look like you’re walking up to the bridge as you walk to the tanks,” he said as electricians added lighting.
The property is the former vehicle showroom for Gutbertlet Chevrolet before its closure a decade ago. It served as several vehicle showrooms prior to Gutbertlet and survived an explosion in 1914 when it operated as a garage.
“It’s been a long process and a lot of work getting a 100-year building converted from a garage to a restaurant,” said Blake, noting working as a family on construction is nothing new–and hoping the business appeals both to local historians and visitors to the town.
In the last year, Morgan County has seen several restaurants close, including breakfast/lunch options like Kenny’s and The River Queen.
“We are all hopeful they get it open soon and are successful,” said Adam Shriver, who not only runs Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville but also serves as a Morgan County commissioner.
Recent closures don’t scare the Ponchaks since they own not only the brewery building but also the location of a Mexican restaurant opening across the parking lot and plan a partnership with Maxwell’s Pizza.
“Both Maxwell’s and El Palenque will deliver right to your table once we’re open,” said Dean. “And we’ve already held some small weddings in the banquet space and plan to use this as both a special event area and a place for overflow if we get really busy.”
Dean and Jennifer Ponchak learned to brew (at a larger scale than the home brewing Dean has practiced for the last few years since retirement from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) through an immersion learning course in Colorado.
“We went to beer school and part of that immersion is working in a brewery–learning how that runs and we get to use the recipes we practiced there,” Dean said. “I’ve always liked the red ales and a stout, but out there in Brighton we even learned to make this raspberry hibiscus beer and fruity isn’t usually what I gravitate to but it was pretty good.”
Blake said his favorite brew thus far is a session IPA his dad makes, one of the four staples the family plans to have on tap once it opens.
“I hope people walk in, look around and see how this 100-year-old building has grown from what it was beforehand, and hopefully now is a place for people to want to go on a weekend or when they get off work,” he said. “The biggest thing is you have to have good beer, as long as we have good beer anybody can enjoy it.”
Dean said he hopes to capture brewery tourists en route from Zanesville, Athens and Marietta as well.
“We are within about 30 miles of all of these and the interstate. I want a place where you can come, relax and enjoy a drink with me in my version of retirement,” he said.
The brewery is anticipated to open by spring, with an approximately 160-person capacity space.
To stay updated on progress, follow the business on Facebook.
Janelle Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com. | Florida Weekly Audio Stories brought to you by Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. Visit broadwaypalm.com to book show tickets today!
“Enforcement time” has come for motorists caught texting and driving by Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
The arrival of 2020 brings a handful of changes stemming from the 2019 legislative session, including final pieces of enforcing a new law that cracks down on texting and driving. Starting Jan. 1, the highway patrol joined other law-enforcement agencies in issuing tickets, instead of warnings, to motorists stopped for texting while driving.
“There’s going to always be education going on, however now it’s going to be enforcement time,” Lt. Derrick Rahming of the highway patrol said. “We never want anyone to learn the hard way, so we gave everyone six months to learn about this law. But, now come Jan. 1, it’s a primary offense and we are going to start issuing citations.”
The new year also will usher in other changes passed during the spring legislative session, including part of a tax package that required a reduction in a tax that businesses pay on commercial leases.
As with the tax package, the bulk of the texting-while-driving law went into place July 1.
Florida in recent years has banned texting while driving, but it had been enforced as a “secondary” offense — meaning motorists could only be cited for texting if they were stopped for other reasons such as speeding. But the new law (HB 107) made it a “primary” offense, allowing police to pull over motorists for texting behind the wheel.
The law also bars motorists from talking on cellphones in school and work zones, unless the motorists use “handsfree” electronic devices.
Law-enforcement agencies such as the highway patrol phased in enforcement of the law, with troopers issuing warnings to motorists before planning to start writing citations in 2020.
Tickets issued for a first offense carry a $30 fine plus court costs, which could reach $108.16. The fine jumps to $60 — $158.18 with court costs — for a second violation within five years.
Because of concerns the law could lead to racial profiling, officers are required to record the race and ethnicity of every violator.
Highway patrol troopers have issued about 800 warnings, which Lt. Rahming said shouldn’t be considered low.
“I think it’s right around where it needs to be,” Lt. Rahming said. “Throughout the state, we’ve had 1,151 citations issued (by all law enforcement) since the law started in July.”
Lt. Rahming said people putting down their phones while driving will make the roads safer.
“When you are sitting inside of a patrol car, you are going to see a lot of things. One of the things you will see is someone distracted in their vehicle,” Lt. Rahming said. “The number one thing we want to do is make sure everyone has their mind on driving and they are doing everything they need to, to make sure they are focused on driving.”
Among other changes taking effect Jan. 1:
¦ As part of an $87 million tax relief package (HB 7123), a sales-tax rate on commercial leases will be trimmed from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent. The reduction is expected produce a $30.8 million cut in state and local taxes in the remaining six months of the fiscal year. Over a full year, the savings are estimated at $64.5 million.
¦ A new law (HB 831) requires health care practitioners to transmit prescriptions electronically, with certain exceptions.
¦ A new law (HB 409), allows remote, online notarization of documents.
¦ A new law (HB 427), establishes the Honor and Remember Flag, which will honor members of the military who have died in the line of duty. The law authorizes the flag to be flown at state buildings and by local governments on Veterans Day, Gold Star Mother’s Day or any day when a member of the military from Florida dies in the line of duty. ¦ | 1 |
The Minnesota Twins have added two veteran arms to their starting rotation, reaching deals with free agents Rich Hill and Homer Bailey, the team announced Tuesday.
Hill, who will turn 40 on March 11, is returning for his 16th season in the major leagues. He worked his way back three times from an arm injury and two knee injuries to finish the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 33-year-old Bailey finished last season with a combined 13-9 record, 4.57 ERA and 149 strikeouts for the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals, who acquired him for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell before the July trade deadline.
Hill's career has taken him on a winding path in which he suffered a torn labrum, underwent Tommy John surgery, temporarily converted into a reliever, pitched in the independent league and shuffled through eight different major league organizations.
He did not establish himself as a major league starter until he was 27 years old, and he didn't necessarily blossom until the age of 36, when the crafty left-hander won 35 games, pitched 378 2/3 innings and posted a 3.09 ERA from 2016 to 2018. The Dodgers acquired Hill from the Oakland Athletics in August 2016, then signed him to a three-year, $48 million extension four months later.
The Dodgers valued Hill for his devastating curveball, his competitive spirit and his clubhouse presence. Hill was slowed coming out of spring training in 2019, then carried a 2.55 ERA through about eight weeks until suffering a flexor tendon strain in his left elbow on June 19.
Upon returning on Sept. 12, Hill re-aggravated a knee injury he suffered earlier in the season. It was thought that his season -- perhaps his career -- was over. But Hill fought to make it onto the Dodgers' postseason roster, recorded eight outs in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, and then, upon elimination, stated his intentions of continuing to pitch.
Hill received the Tony Conigliaro Award, which goes to a major leaguer "who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage" of the award's namesake.
Bailey struggled through the first six weeks of the 2019 season, but his split-fastball became more dominant as the season went on. He had a 2.28 ERA and 21 strikeouts over four starts in September, giving the A's some additional help as they made a late run to a wild card berth in the second half.
The veteran right-hander made 31 starts last season, his most since 2013, to show that various health issues that have plagued him in the past -- he started the season on the disabled list each year from 2015-17 -- are firmly behind him.
Bailey spent his first 12 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, making 212 starts and going 67-77 with a 4.56 ERA. He was traded from the Reds to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a seven-player deal that included Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp in December 2018, which meant Los Angeles paid the majority of the $23 million that remained on the $105 million, six-year contract signed with the Reds in 2014.
Bailey, who was released after the 2018 season, signed a minor-league deal with the Royals in February.
He has thrown a pair of no-hitters, the first against Pittsburgh in September 2012 and the other against San Francisco the following July. He won 24 games over those two seasons.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report. | The Twins signed starting pitchers Homer Bailey and Rich Hill to one-year contracts Tuesday.
The 33-year-old Bailey is a 13-year major league veteran who split last season between Kansas City and Oakland, going 13-9 with a 4.57 ERA in 31 starts. In 243 major league games, all starts, the righthander is 80-86 with a 4.57 ERA.
His contract will be worth $7 million, with incentives if he reaches 180 innings, a major league source told the Star Tribune.
Bailey's best season came in 2013 when he was 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA for the Reds and had 199 strikeouts in 209 innings. Cincinnati gave him a six-year, $105 million contract extension at that point, but he had arm trouble in 2014 and had Tommy John surgery in 2015. More arm surgery followed; in 2018 he was 1-14 with a 6.09 ERA and the Reds traded him in a salary dump to the Dodgers, who released him.
After signing a minor league deal with Kansas City, Bailey was 7-6 for the Royals last season. They traded him to the A's at the deadline, and he was 6-3 for a playoff team.
Hill, a lefthander, will be 40 on Opening Day. He has pitched for eight teams in 15 seasons, and had only 13 starts for the Dodgers last season because of portion of the UCL in his left elbow detached. He had surgery in October and will be out until at least June. Hill was 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 48⅔ innings last season.
His contract is for $3 million, with incentives worth close to $10 million, a source confirmed.
In 2013, Hill made 63 appearances in relief for the Cleveland, but shortly thereafter turned his career around by adding a devastating curveball. The major problem with throwing his curve is that it tears the skin on the side of his middle finger, and that has limited him, although he made 25 starts in both 2017 and 2018 for the Dodgers' World Series teams.
He has also pitched for the Red Sox, Cubs, A's, Angels, Yankees and Orioles.
In 3½ seasons in Los Angeles, Hill started 68 games and had a 3.16 ERA and a 7.1 WAR. In 50 innings in the playoffs, his ERA was 2.70; his last contract with the Dodgers was for three years and $48 million.
Hill and his wife made headlines on Dec. 22 when they were detained by police at an NFL game between Buffalo and New England in Foxborough, Mass.
Caitlin Hill repeatedly tried to enter Gillette Stadium with an oversized bag, and as police took her into custody, Rich Hill was also arrested because he tried to stop them. On Dec. 23, they both were ordered to pay $500 fines for civil infractions. Hill released a statement where he said, "Seeing my wife handcuffed for a problem that started because of her fanny pack was extremely difficult for me to witness. This was all overblown and we are glad to have it behind us."
The Twins' starting rotation is not exactly set because neither Hill nor Michael Pineda, who is serving 39 more games of a suspension for using a banned diuretic, will be ready for the season opener on March 28.
Barring injuries, Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Bailey appear likely to be the top three coming out of spring training. Until Hill and Pineda are ready, it's likely Devin Smeltzer, Randy Dobnak and/or Lewis Thorpe will be in the starting mix. Unlike last season, when the first month of the season was marked by off-days and the Twins needed only four starters, in 2020 the team has only four off-days from the start of the schedule on March 26 until May 7.
The Twins, two major league sources confirmed, are still very much in the running for free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson. | 3.666667 |
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TL;DR: Packed with 40 classic games, the Sega Genesis Mini is a retro gamer's paradise — it's $30 off at Best Buy right now.
While gaming technology makes progress in leaps and bounds each year (especially with a new console generation around the corner), sometimes it's nice to take a step back and revisit what came before today's newest innovations. We're talking about going retro — you know, the games you used to play when your hands were barely big enough to hold a controller?
You can bask in that nostalgia with the Sega Genesis Mini — it comes packed with 40 classic games, and right now you can pick one up for just $49.99 at Best Buy (that's $30 off the usual price).
Relive your gaming glory days with this plug-and-play Sega Genesis miniature replica console — just connect it via HDMI to your TV, and you're ready to experience the device's 40 legendary gaming titles. Within the Mini's library, you'll find Ecco the Dolphin, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Toe Jam & Earl, Sonic the Hedgehog, Gunstar Heroes, Earthworm Jim, Street Fighter 2, and tons more that'll have you occupied for the foreseeable future. You'll also get two controllers, in case you want to bring a friend into the mix.
Experience gaming's wonderful past with the Sega Genesis Mini — get one at Best Buy and save $30 off the final price. | This year or this decades starts with an art challenge for me. I have joined in the Sktchy Challenge 30 faces 30 days, where I am joining an International community of over 800 artists all over the world. We make a portrait every single day---of the same muse. We get the muse in our inbox, and we all share what we have made using #30faces30daysThe above is the portait I made today.I think it is important to keep oneself challenged creatively. Only then does one grow.You can see the process of how I painted the above on my Instagram stories. They remain for 24 hours.Wishing you all a wonderful new year! This is post 17 of my 30 day blog marathon. Rather than mention it in the title, this year I thought I would put it in the body of the post :)Come back tomorrow for a new post! :) | 1 |
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